CHICAGO (AP) — Days after the Illinois Democratic Party endorsed a quiet effort to get his replacement chief of staff on the March primary ballot, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia confirmed Thursday that he will not seek a fifth term.
Garcia, a progressive Democrat who has made immigrant rights a key issue, becomes the fifth U.S. House member from Illinois to forego re-election in 2026, leaving the most vacancies in the state’s history. All five are safely considered Democrats, with some seats vacated by retirements. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Garcia, 69, filed his nomination petition for the primary ballot on Monday, Oct. 27, the first day of the Illinois State Board of Elections’ filing period. A week later, on the last day of filing, his chief of staff, Patti Garcia, who is not related to the congressman, submitted her own petition to enter the District 4 race after working hard over the weekend to collect 2,500 signatures.
The lawmaker did not announce the plan publicly, instead giving sporadic interviews with local media. He said his decision to retire from politics came after the “most stressful” week of his life, combined with concerns for his health and family.
He said his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, had a medical setback and asked him not to run. Doctors then expressed concerns about his heart health. Around the same time, the couple completed the adoption of their 8-year-old grandson. They have been raising grandchildren since the death of their daughter Rosa in 2023.
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“The first day I entered my plea, my cardiologist told me I needed to take care of myself and I needed to find something else to do,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday. “It’s been a week of hell.”
Still, the political maneuver quickly fueled criticism of the Chicago-style politics in which the congressman appoints his chief of staff to public office.
Patti Garcia filed her petition at 5 p.m. on the last day of the nomination period, ensuring that no other candidate would have a chance to run in the primary as a Democrat, according to data from the State Board of Elections.
Garcia insisted the criticism was fair.
“I understand why some people came to that conclusion. I found myself in a very difficult position. I had to act in a hurry,” he said. “We needed to make sure we had people on the ballot who were going to be advocates for immigrants, people who understood our district and small businesses, and people who were fully committed.”
The lawmaker said he intended to withdraw the petition. He intends to complete his term until January 2027.
The situation created a sense of déjà vu when Garcia was first elected to Congress under similar circumstances in 2018. His predecessor, former U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez Near the end of the 2017 application period, the group announced it would withdraw its support from Garcia, a then-Cook County commissioner who had served as a state representative and Chicago City Council member.
Garcia is well known throughout the city, in part for two reasons. No bid was made for mayor of chicago.
He was born in Mexico and came to the United States as a child. He was a university activist and organized a sit-in to establish a Latino cultural center. He later helped found community groups and served as water commissioner under Harold Washington, the city’s first black mayor.
The mild-mannered politician, best known for his trademark mustache, remains popular in his constituency, which includes areas with large Latino and immigrant populations. Most recently, he made headlines for calling for reform at an immigrant processing center in suburban Chicago.
As a lawmaker, he touts more than $50 million in funding back to his district for dozens of projects, including school programs, suburban flooding projects, library expansions and funding for low-income health clinics.
Garcia said he has no intention of running for public office again.
“I’m not going to go out. I’m going to step back,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to disappear or stop being active. I’m going to be a mentor, a mentor who shares my history and my struggles.”
Patty Garcia, 40, has been working for the congressman since taking office. He did not respond to requests for comment this week.
The congressman said it would be a good thing for him to leave along with other members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation.
“I think we need new blood, new energy in Congress.”
The other four councilors said they do not intend to seek re-election next year. Representative from the United States. Jan Schakowsky and Danny Davis Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly are running for Senate, but have retired.
