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U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Chicago will not run for reelection, a source close to the congressman said Monday, apparently ceding the spot to his chief of staff, who filed to run for the 4th Congressional District seat that García has held since 2019.
García last week filed to run for reelection next year but on Monday his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, also filed for the same spot. A source who was briefed on the matter told the Tribune that the congressman was expected to withdraw his petitions to run for another term, leaving the Democratic slate free for Patty Garcia to win and all but ensuring she’d be elected in the heavily blue Chicago congressional district.
Rep. García would join four other members of Illinois’ congressional delegation not running for reelection next year — U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly are running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, while Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Danny Davis are retiring. Rep. García did not return calls seeking comment.
García, 69, is a former Chicago alderman, Cook County commissioner and state senator and twice unsuccessful mayoral candidate, including being defeated in a 2015 runoff against Mayor Rahm Emanuel and finishing fourth in 2023.
An ally of the late Mayor Harold Washington, García has been an unabashed political progressive and supporter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who calls himself a democratic socialist. In his runs for president, Sanders used García as a surrogate to appeal to Latino voters.
The circumstances involving García’s apparent departure are reminiscent of how he got into Congress in the first place. Only days before the deadline for petition filing in 2017, 13-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez pulled his petitions. A day later, García announced his intention to run for the seat and won Gutiérrez’s backing.
García won the nomination with two-thirds of the primary vote.
Patty Garcia is no relation to the congressman. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that the congressman would not seek another term.
The sudden move by Rep. García came on the final day that petitions to run in the 2026 elections could be filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, the end of the weeklong period for prospective March 17 primary contenders to appear on the ballot.
In another surprise move, symbolizing the weakened state of Illinois Republicans, no one filed for the GOP primary ballot for state treasurer.
The lack of a GOP challenger to file petitions to face three-term Democratic Treasurer Mike Frerichs represents a further breakdown in a state Republican Party that has been shut out of all statewide offices and two U.S. Senate seats. The GOP is also in a superminority in the legislature and state Supreme Court, and holds only three of the state’s 17 U.S. House seats.
Frerichs’ campaign said the absence of a GOP primary filer marked the first time in at least 90 years that a major political party in Illinois had no candidate file to run in a primary election for statewide office.
The Illinois Republican State Central Committee, made up of representatives from each of the state’s congressional districts, will have the ability to appoint a candidate to fill the treasurer ballot vacancy, but the appointee will be required to obtain at least 5,000 valid signatures from registered voters as a regular candidate would.
All told, more than 630 people filed candidate petitions for the Democratic and Republican primary ballots for federal and state offices in the weeklong filing period, with Democrats facing heavily contested races due to retirements and political ladder-climbing in several open-seat contests.
But the end of the filing period also leaves one week for the filing of objections to the candidacy petitions. And the sheer volume of candidates filing means the likelihood that some will be tossed off the ballot for lacking enough valid petition signatures or other filing mistakes.
With Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker seeking a third term, seven Republicans filed for the GOP nomination for the office, including Darren Bailey, the unsuccessful 2022 nominee, conservative activist Ted Dabrowski and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick. Joining the GOP field on Monday was Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills, a wealthy real estate developer who has a controversial background as founder of Gold Rush Gaming.
Pritzker faces only a token challenge in the Democratic primary.
Filing on the last day for the GOP nomination for attorney general was Bob Fioretti of Chicago. Fioretti lost last year’s race for Cook County state’s attorney, the 2022 contest for Cook County Board president, the 2020 Democratic nomination for state’s attorney, finished 12th in 2019 battle for Chicago mayor, was defeated for the 2018 Democratic nomination for County Board president and a 2016 Democratic primary for a state Senate seat, and finished fourth in the 2015 Chicago mayoral election.
Joining Fioretti in seeking the GOP attorney general nomination was JoAnne Giullemette of Chicago, who finished third in a 2022 GOP primary challenge to veteran U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Peoria, and Andy Williams Jr. of Darien, a onetime write-in candidate for president.
The winner would take on Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul, who is seeking a third term as the state’s top law enforcement official.
Filing a Republican challenge to two-term Democratic Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is Walter Adamczyk of Chicago. Adamczyk, who filed last week, got six votes in a losing bid for 29th Ward Chicago alderman in 2023. Joining Adamczyk on Monday was Diane Harris of Joliet, who lost a 2022 bid for state Senate and lost previous bids for state House and Congress.
Democratic Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s decision not to seek reelection, potentially for a 2027 bid for Chicago mayor, created a rare opening for a state government office. A total of five Democrats filed: state Reps. Margaret Croke of Chicago and Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego, along with state Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and, on Monday, Champaign County auditor George Danos.
Republican Bryan Drew of downstate Benton, a personal injury attorney who lost a GOP primary race for judge last year, filed last week for the party’s comptroller nomination.
With Durbin’s decision to retire after his term ends in 2027, a field of 22 candidates developed to try to succeed him. Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg and Kelly of Lynwood, as well as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, head a list of 14 Democratic contenders. Eight Republicans, including former state GOP Chair Don Tracy, filed for the nomination.
In the open seat for the 2nd Congressional District, which Kelly is giving up to seek the U.S. Senate nomination, a dozen people filed for the ballot: 10 Democrats and two Republicans. The sprawling district includes parts of the South Side, south suburbs even the downstate city of Danville.
A dozen candidates filed in the northwest suburban 8th Congressional District, where Krishnamoorthi is leaving to seek the U.S. Senate nomination — eight Democrats and four Republicans.
Davis’ decision to retire at the end of his 15th term created a wide-open race in the 7th Congressional District, which covers the West Side and downtown. A total of 13 Democrats and two Republicans filed for the seat.
In the north suburban 9th Congressional District, where 14-term Schakowski, of Evanston, is not seeking reelection, 21 candidates filed — 17 Democrats and four Republicans.
After hearing candidate objections, the State Board of Elections has scheduled Jan. 8 to finalize the primary ballot.
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Rick Pearson, Gregory Royal Pratt
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