Two Democrats challenging 'Chuy' Garcia's successor in independent bids for 4th Congressional District

Vowing to put working families before corporate billionaires, Democratic socialist Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez on Wednesday officially launched an independent bid to challenge Patty Garcia, U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's hand-picked successor.

"We are not tied down by party rules. We are not waiting for the Democratic Party to give us permission," Sigcho-Lopez (25th) said in announcing his bid on the Southwest Side. "We’re not sitting still at the bottom tier of a hierarchy mapped out by corporate billionaires on both sides of the aisle.”

The alderman said "billionaire, pedophile, human traffickers are running the United States," and likened the Trump administration to "pirates at night, unleashing terror and kidnappings abroad and at home to extract oil and colonize free countries like Palestine, Greenland or Venezuela." Sigcho-Lopez's platform includes housing and healthcare reform, expanding veterans health care, challenging corporate power in Congress and abolishing ICE.

Sigcho-Lopez, an Ecuador native who is serving his second term in the City Council, joins Mayra Macías, who launched an independent bid for the 4th Congressional District in December. She has called Chuy Garcia's decision “undemocratic.” Macías, a Back of the Yards native, is a former teacher who served as a field organizer for President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. She also served as executive director for the Latino Victory Project. Her platform includes focusing on affordability, standing up for immigrant communities against Trump administration deportations and protecting democracy. She has said "ICE must be defunded and dismantled.”

Chuy Garcia in November raised eyebrows after a last-minute decision to withdraw from the race and help his chief of staff Patty Garcia quickly garner enough signatures to make it onto the ballot just ahead of a required deadline. The maneuver ensured that Patty Garcia would be the only Democrat to run for the seat in the March 17 election.

Both Sigcho-Lopez and Macías now have the difficult task of collecting at least 10,816 valid petition signatures between Feb. 25 and May 26, which is the requirement in Illinois for independent bids.

Sigcho-Lopez told supporters he wants to take "big money out of politics, if it's Elon Musk or Michael Sacks." He also grouped Patty Garcia into the category of "establishment politicians in the making." And he offered up plenty of criticism directed at Chuy Garcia for the last-minute ballot play.

Sigcho-Lopez said Chuy Garcia "mapped out an old school establishment, anti-Democratic backroom deal and decided to hide the fact that this was planned all along... kept candidates out of the race and took away the will of the voters."

The alderman also acknowledged the practical challenges he'll face in securing such a large number of signatures as an independent candidate for the district.

"In order to make this movement a success, we need to collect thousands of petition signatures in just a few months and we need to be highly organized," Sigcho-Lopez said. He said he's proud to have the support of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Patty Garcia in November defended her addition to the ballot.

“It’s an open process. Any person who’s interested in running for office can apply, can circulate their petitions and submit an application," she said." We followed the rules. We collected signatures, and we submitted an application."

Patty Garcia, who has worked in Chuy Garcia’s office since 2019, vowed to continue his work fighting for immigrant and working-class families in the Southwest Side district that stretches to the western suburbs.

“And let me be clear: f--- ICE,” she said.