Calling it “a call to action,” Chris Getty, the mayor of Lyons for 17 years, is running for a seat in the U.S. Congress.
He announced his independent candidacy for the 4th Congressional District seat that is being vacated by U.S. Rep Chuy Garcia.
He made the announcement Feb. 26 during his annual fundraising event at Gibson’s in Oak Brook. Hundreds were in attendance.
Getty said he was not pleased when Garcia “handpicked his successor.”
Last year, Garcia tabbed Patty Garcia – no relation – to replace him in Congress. Patty Garcia has been his longtime chief of staff.
Since then, Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) and Mayra Macias have launched campaigns for the seat.
Referring to Garcia’s handpicking his successor Getty said: “That’s not how democracy is supposed to work. Representation is earned, not inherited. … The people should always have the final say.”
“People deserves leaders who listen and leaders who never forget who they work for,” he added.
Getty was 26 years old in 2009 when he ran for mayor and won his first four-year term.
“Together we made history,” Getty said. “We brought stability to Lyons. We united a divided community.”
He said constituents and friends have often asked if he intended to run for higher office.
“I hear you and I’m ready,” he said to cheers.
Getty chose to run as an independent “because this moment demands an independent voice. I don’t answer to a party. I answer to the people.”
He did admit the road to victory “won’t be easy.”
“It takes courage, it takes an organization and it takes resources,” he said.
Getty does have a strong organization in place with loyal supporters who live in and/or work in the village of Lyons government. He won re-election as mayor four times. And he is also supervisor of the Township of Lyons, giving him another base of support.
“They may have thought this election was already decided,” he said, “but they underestimated this community and they underestimated the strength in this room.”
“And they forgot something important. This Congressional seat does not belong to insiders. It belongs to the people,” he said to loud cheers.
After his speech while he worked his way around the room, he shook hands, shared hugs and posed for photos with supporters.
Taking a break, Getty said “when (Garcia) did that, he undermined everyone in the district.” Getty added that he feels “very good” about his chances of winning, noting “we have a wide coalition of people.”
Getty said he “grew up in a household where being involved in the community wasn’t optional. It was expected.”
His mother, Anna Getty, was beaming with pride after the speech.
“I’m just so excited for him and for the people in the district,” she said. “He truly has empathy for the individual. He relates to the ordinary person’s problems. That’s very important.”
Anna Getty knew early on that her son had something special going for him.
He was in the fifth grade when pulled a friend out of the pond at Cermak Park, across Ogden Avenue from their home, after he had fallen through the ice.
“There were holes for ice fishing. We thought it’d be cool to go out there and kick at the holes,” he recalled. “My friend, Keith Frentzel, went right down. I had to pull him out with everything I could. … It was in the newspapers.”
Anna said “he was always looking out for someone else.”
“By the grace of God, both of them were okay. He was afraid to tell me about it,” she said, recalling his wet clothing that day.
Casey Obrochta, whose business has been located in Lyons for 15 years, said Getty “looks out for small businesses.”
“In those years, Lyons has gone from a 2 to an 8,” he said as he ranked the village on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Summit Village Trustee Sam Dardovski said Getty will be a good in Congress “because he works for the people.”
“A person who works for the people is different than somebody who has big corporations, big money (behind them),” he said.
Karen Koncel, a village trustee for five years in La Grange Park, said Garcia choosing a successor irked her.
She said it reminded her of when former U.S. Rep. Bill Lipinski stepped down and handed his seat to son Dan.
“I remember that all too well,” Koncel said. “The elections belong to the people, not the elected representatives.”
“It’s a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I will stand by that until my dying day,” she said.
If elected, Getty will do a good job, she said.
“I think the people deserve a good person. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on. You have to be a good person,” Koncel added.
Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez said Getty “has a welcoming” personality that “shows a lot about his character.”
In Lyons, Getty has been supportive of various departments, said Fire Chief Gordon Nord Jr.
“He’s listened to my needs and he’s given me just about everything I’ve asked for (the department). He’s listened to my concerns. I’m impressed,” Nord said.
Seems like Getty stepping in as an independent will shake things up. Wonder how that will change the dynamics in Congress?