Democratic Illinois Rep. Chuy Garcia’s hand-picked replacement ran uncontested in the Chicago-based district’s Democratic primary Tuesday night due to what some critics have labeled a coronation effort by the outgoing congressman.
Patty Garcia, the representative’s chief of staff of no relation, won the primary without opposition, according to the Associated Press (AP), and is all but guaranteed to win the November general election in a seat that Kamala Harris won by 28 percentage points in 2024. She filed her paperwork to run for the seat in the final hours before the filing deadline, only for the incumbent to withdraw from his reelection campaign days after the deadline had passed.
Rep. Garcia’s move caused outrage among members in the House of Representatives, prompting a wave of criticism from his own party. Democratic Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez called the move “election subversion” and introduced a formal rebuke of Garcia. Twenty-three Democrats voted alongside nearly all House Republicans to rebuke their colleague over the succession.
VoteHub projects Patty Garcia to win the Illinois Democratic primary for U.S. House District 4. pic.twitter.com/e5r42PqjUT
— VoteHub (@VoteHub) March 18, 2026
“You don’t get your cake and eat it too,” Gluesenkamp Perez said on the House floor in November. “If you’re not going to run, you don’t get to choose your successor, no matter how noble the work you have done beforehand.”
“If we fail to hold our colleagues accountable for this subversion of elections, we own the consequences,” Gluesenkamp Perez added at the time. “Americans bled and died to secure the right to elect their leaders. We can’t expect to be taken seriously in the fight for free and fair elections if we turn a blind eye to election denial on our side of the aisle.”
Rep. Garcia, 69, had represented a heavily Hispanic seat since 2019, but worked in Chicago-area politics for over 40 years, mounting two failed mayoral campaigns in 2015 and 2023. Garcia had told the Chicago Sun-Times in November 2025 that he assisted his chief of staff in collecting enough signatures to earn her spot on the primary ballot while he was still slated to run again to represent the district.
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline, and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of violating 25 House rules, ethics panel finds - March 27, 2026
- Democrat rep entrenched in embezzlement scandal faces expulsion threats in 7-hour hearing - March 27, 2026
- Democrats logjam DHS funding over demands for agency excluded from proposed deal - March 26, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
