Mexican-American Congressman Chuy García is Not Seeking Reelection, Leaving His Deputy Behind with a Plan for Success.
In a shocking turn of events, Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García has decided not to run for reelection in his Illinois congressional district. García's decision comes on the heels of an unexpected move by his deputy, Patty García, who filed paperwork to succeed her boss just hours before the deadline. Sources close to the matter have confirmed that Garcia plans to withdraw his candidacy.
García's decision is the latest development in a highly contentious election season in Illinois, where five congressional seats and one Senate seat are up for grabs. The district García represents has been a reliably Democratic stronghold since 2018, when he took office following Luis Gutiérrez' surprise retirement.
Critics have compared García's move to an "appointment" rather than a fair primary contest. "Chuy coronas a su jefa de personal para reemplazarlo, utilizando las mismas tácticas de máquina que le dieron el escaño a Luis Gutiérrez," wrote 15th Ward Alderman Raymond López, who challenged García in the previous election.
Former White House aide Emmy Ruiz called García's decision "disappointing" and likened it to an "appointment" rather than a fair contest. "El representante García ha sido un luchador por nuestra comunidad, y sin embargo, cómo se tomó esta decisión final, con una coronación en lugar de una primaria abierta entre tantos líderes increíbles en este distrito, es muy decepcionante," she wrote on Twitter.
Democrat operative Lis Smith also expressed her discontent with García's decision. "Esto es asqueroso y por eso la gente odia la política. Chuy se postuló como un hombre del pueblo, pero está actuando como una parte de la máquina," she tweeted.
García has been a prominent figure in Chicago politics for over four decades, serving as a city councilman, county commissioner, state senator and twice as the mayor candidate. García's departure from the congressional race leaves room for other candidates to vie for his seat.
In a shocking turn of events, Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García has decided not to run for reelection in his Illinois congressional district. García's decision comes on the heels of an unexpected move by his deputy, Patty García, who filed paperwork to succeed her boss just hours before the deadline. Sources close to the matter have confirmed that Garcia plans to withdraw his candidacy.
García's decision is the latest development in a highly contentious election season in Illinois, where five congressional seats and one Senate seat are up for grabs. The district García represents has been a reliably Democratic stronghold since 2018, when he took office following Luis Gutiérrez' surprise retirement.
Critics have compared García's move to an "appointment" rather than a fair primary contest. "Chuy coronas a su jefa de personal para reemplazarlo, utilizando las mismas tácticas de máquina que le dieron el escaño a Luis Gutiérrez," wrote 15th Ward Alderman Raymond López, who challenged García in the previous election.
Former White House aide Emmy Ruiz called García's decision "disappointing" and likened it to an "appointment" rather than a fair contest. "El representante García ha sido un luchador por nuestra comunidad, y sin embargo, cómo se tomó esta decisión final, con una coronación en lugar de una primaria abierta entre tantos líderes increíbles en este distrito, es muy decepcionante," she wrote on Twitter.
Democrat operative Lis Smith also expressed her discontent with García's decision. "Esto es asqueroso y por eso la gente odia la política. Chuy se postuló como un hombre del pueblo, pero está actuando como una parte de la máquina," she tweeted.
García has been a prominent figure in Chicago politics for over four decades, serving as a city councilman, county commissioner, state senator and twice as the mayor candidate. García's departure from the congressional race leaves room for other candidates to vie for his seat.
. Can't believe Chuy García just pulled out of the election like that 
. I mean, I get it, he's not running anymore, but do we have to be treated like pawns in some game? It feels so unfair, especially with his deputy Patty García swooping in and claiming his spot 
. And don't even get me started on the "appointment" comment - yikes 
. Can't our politicians just have a decent primary contest for once?! 
. I mean, Patty García was literally filing paperwork at the same time as the deadline, which is super suspicious 
. Just because it's not a traditional primary doesn't mean it's not fair. What's going on here is that Chuy is trying to transfer power, and that's not something you can just ignore 
.
. We need to see some concrete evidence before we start throwing around accusations. And what about the people in Chuy's community? Are they actually supporting this decision or are they just getting caught up in the drama? 
. It's like, what's going on here? 
The whole thing feels like an "appointment" rather than a real primary contest 
. I get Chuy has been in politics for ages and all, but can't he just let the people choose his replacement instead of making it some kinda behind-the-scenes deal 
? #ChuyGarcia #CongressionalRaces #ElectionShenanigans
like is he just gonna leave patty in the lurch without a plan lol idk man i kinda trust her more than chuy anyway she's got some fire 
gotta see how this all plays out now
. sounds like a total copout, all because of some drama with the machine... or so I'm told. newsflash: pols are always gonna play it safe when it comes to re-election... don't get too salty, folks, there's still plenty of time for some new blood to jump in 
... but at the same time, isn't it a pretty typical Chicago politics move? 
Like, he's been part of the machine for so long, it's hard to imagine him not playing by the rules 
Maybe she's the one who'll bring some fresh energy and ideas... or maybe she'll just be another puppet for the machine 
Did he get intimidated by the opposition or something? I don't know, but this whole situation feels super suspicious to me... 
this is so shady 
I'm all about fair elections and primary contests over backroom deals. Chuy's decision feels like he just handed his job to his deputy without even trying to fight for it 
. I mean, Patty García should have earned the right to succeed him by winning a primary, not just taking it because her boss said so 
️. And what really gets me is how this whole thing is being portrayed as some kind of "appointment" rather than a power play 
, Chuy's still done good work 4 da community & he deserve a break 
, u cant just say hes "coronating" his deputy like thats a bad thing 
, maybe shes got plans 2 carry on his legacy 
, Lis Smith needs 2 calm down & get over her own ego 
some ppl are already saying it's an 'appointment' & García is passing the torch to his deputy Patty 
like she's ready 2 take on the role lol who knows if she can pull off the same magic