Rep. Chuy Garcia

Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s chief of staff launched her campaign Wednesday to succeed her boss in Congress, a move that has generated hope and controversy given the Illinois Democrat’s last-minute decision to withdraw from the House.

Patty García, who is not related to the congressman, began her campaign to represent Illinois’ 4th District, where she was born and raised with her Mexican immigrant parents. The district on Chicago’s southwest side is predominantly Hispanic and reliably blue.

“My mother crossed the border, undocumented and pregnant with me. And she arrived in Chicago wearing sandals in the middle of winter because she didn’t know anything about frozen, cold Chicago,” she said, surrounded by union leaders and progressives in the negative vote.

“Today, families dressed like ours face a new kind of ICE, an assault on immigrants that threatens everything we have built,” he continued. “That’s why I’m running for Congress.”

The candidate began serving as Chuy García’s district director in 2019 and rose to become his chief of staff in 2023. With the congressman endorsing her campaign, Patty García would likely be the first Mexican-American woman to represent the Midwest in Congress.

“Patty will start working on day one, no training is required,” the congressman said in a statement. “Patty knows the issues, she knows the actors in Washington, and she has the talent and heart to deliver real results for working families.”

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García filed his re-election petitions on October 27, but reversed that decision less than a month later when he announced his intention to retire after his current term. The congressman said his cardiologist warned him to slow down for health reasons and that his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, asked him not to run. He also cited the recent legal adoption of his 8-year-old grandson after his daughter Rosa, the child’s mother, died in 2023.

Reasons aside, the congressman has faced negative reactions from some fellow Democrats for what they see as an electoral maneuver more similar to the Chicago political machine. Chuy García decided not to run for reelection at the last minute, prompting Patty García to file her own petitions just before the 5 p.m. candidate filing deadline on November 3.

The problem is that the congressman did not publicly announce his retirement until after the deadline, preventing potential challengers from having enough time to gather the 2,500 signatures needed to compete against his chosen successor in the March 17 primary.

“It’s an open process. Anyone who is interested in running for office can apply, they can circulate their petitions and submit an application. We followed the rules. We collected signatures and submitted an application,” Patty Garcia told reporters Wednesday. “People can apply at any time. We didn’t stop anyone from applying.”

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Patty Garcia will still face challenges from Republican Lupe Castillo, as well as Ed Hershey of the Working Class Party. Social Democratic Councilman Byron Sigcho-López is also considering an independent bid, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (Washington) filed a privileged resolution Wednesday publicly condemning the congressman’s actions as “below the dignity of his office and incompatible with the spirit of the Constitution.”

“Congressman Chuy García’s stated reasons for stepping down are honorable, but his decision to anoint an heir is fundamentally undemocratic. This is the kind of thing that makes people disengage from electoral politics. And, frankly, who would blame them?” Perez said in a separate statement.

“If we do not hold our colleagues accountable for this subversion of the elections, we will bear the consequences,” he continued. “Americans bled and died to secure the right to elect their leaders. We cannot expect to be taken seriously in the fight for free and fair elections if we turn a blind eye to election denial from our side of the aisle.”

A spokesperson for Patty Garcia’s campaign did not immediately respond to News themezone’s request for comment on Perez’s resolution. The House will vote on it early next week.

“At a time like this, you hope that your colleagues, especially those who speak about family values, can show the same compassion and respect that any family would want during a health crisis,” he continued. “Congressman García remains committed to finishing his term with dignity and continuing his lifelong fight for working families.”