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LITTLE VILLAGE — Only one name appears on Tuesday’s Democratic primary ballot for the 4th Congressional District: Patty García.

Yet García could actually face a slew of challengers come the general election this November.

Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García dropped his reelection campaign at the last minute in November, giving Patty García, his chief of staff, a head start on filing petitions and potentially a clear path to Congress. The move instead set off a campaign frenzy; now, four independent candidates are vying for the congressional seat.

The race is shaping up to be one of the most unique in the country as the seat — held by Latino Democrats for more than 30 years — could be taken by an independent in November’s general election.

Two independent Latino candidates running on Democratic platforms have emerged as strong challengers — Pilsen Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez and political organizer Mayra Macías — as long as they can make the ballot.

The three — Patty García, Macías and Sigcho-Lopez — have a unique opportunity: the chance to seize a rarely open congressional seat — and the chance to follow Chuy García in becoming a national political powerhouse for Latinos.

Another two independent candidates from the suburbs have joined the race: Lindsay Church, a nonbinary veteran, nonprofit leader and LGBTQ+ parent from Berwyn, announced her run in January; and Chris Getty, the Lyons mayor and township director who has raised substantial funds for his political runs in the suburbs, announced his campaign last month. In recent years, Getty has been investigated — but not charged — for alleged corruption and using campaign funds to pay personal debt, according to the Sun-Times. 

Patty García is “the Democratic nominee. In order to defeat that, an earthquake has to happen,” said Frank Calabrese, a political consultant who worked with Chuy García in the past. Calabrese is not affiliated with any of the candidates in this race. But “if you have enough independent candidates take away natural Democratic constituencies, that could bring her down to 30-35 percent [of the vote], and an independent could win.”

Republican candidate Lupe Castillo and Working Class Party candidate Ed Hershey are also running, but they’re unlikely to win the general election as it’s a safe Democratic-voting district, said Jaime Dominguez, associate professor for the department of political science at Northwestern University.

The 4th Congressional District, known as the “ear muffs” district for its shape, spans as far north as Franklin Park, west as Oak Brook, east as Pilsen and south as Burbank. It includes Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards and most of Chicago’s Southwest Side as well as southwest suburbs such as Berwyn and Cicero.

About 65 percent of the district’s residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to 2024 American Community Survey data. About 85 percent of Latinos in the district are Mexican; the next-largest group is Puerto Ricans, who make up 5 percent of the Latino population.

Patty García has the “upper hand” to win the race, Calabrese and Dominguez said. She’s the Democratic candidate, has been endorsed by several union groups and is backed by other local officials who were mentored by Chuy García.

And independents face an uphill battle, as they must collect at least 10,816 petition signatures by May 26 — more than 15 times the 697 needed for Democratic party candidates — to appear on the ballot in the general election, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Unlike party candidates, the independents can submit no more than 17,304, leaving a small margin of error if anyone objects to the signatures filed.

But the competition could benefit voters, experts said: Having more contenders in the race forces candidates to make a strong case about how they will represent the district, to share their platforms and to explain what they want to bring to neighbors.

“It’s up to the voters to decide who is a better choice,” Dominguez said. “I think it’s a great thing that other people are getting in the race. I think it’s a great thing that non-Latinos are getting in the race.”

A New Era For A Latino District?

Chuy García’s Chicago Machine-like maneuver — stepping aside at the last minute, giving his chief of staff a clearer path to success — could have been a calculated move to prevent an outpouring of candidates vying for the rare chance to replace a powerhouse congressman, Calabrese said.

For example, in the 7th Congressional District, 15 candidates are vying for the seat that will be left open by Rep. Danny Davis. In the North Side’s 9th District, another 15 Democrats are in the race for the seat Rep. Jan Schakowsky is leaving. Both longtime members of Congress announced their 2027 retirements in the summer, months before the filing deadline. 

Hand-picking a successor is nothing new for the Southwest Side, where figures like now-disgraced Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan used his power to bring allies into office and former Rep. Bill Lipinski handed his seat to his son.

But, it was a surprise move from reformer and progressive Chuy García, some political experts said. An immigrant from Mexico, he built a political career rallying and organizing with progressive leaders like Rudy Lozano and Mayor Harold Washington.

The congressman has rejected accusations that he hand-picked his successor, saying his decision to withdraw from the race was solely motivated by the needs of his family.

Chuy García’s wife asked him to retire and stay home after the couple finalized the adoption of their 8-year-old grandson — their late daughter’s child — days before the filing deadline, he said. He agreed and threw his support behind Patty García, his former chief of staff.

“That’s what went into it,” he said. “There were only going to be like two days to get signatures. And I was very conscious of it. So we got to work, and Patty especially went to work.”

Patty García filed her petitions Nov. 3, the last day to file as a Democratic candidate, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. 

The congressman announced he would not seek reelection a few days later even though he had filed the paperwork for his candidacy at the end of October. He officially withdrew his petitions Jan. 2, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

“It was really, really tough, and I shocked everybody,” he said.

Chuy García endorsed Patty García due to her experience, work ethic and roots in the district, he said. He assumed there would be challengers, regardless of his decision, he said.

Patty García also denied her mentor’s last-minute decision blocked other candidates from entering the race.

“This allegation that we didn’t allow other people to file is false, because other people did file. There are two other candidates [Castillo and Hershey]; and at any point, anyone could have filed if they were interested,” she said.

But other potential Democratic candidates were unlikely to run against a formidable incumbent like Chuy García, so his last-minute announcement denied would-be challengers the rare chance to prepare a run for an open congressional seat, political analysts said.

With a tight turnaround to collect petitions and file their candidacies, Sigcho-Lopez and Macías were forced to run as independents even though their platforms align with the Democratic Party. 

Chuy García’s last-minute withdrawal could discourage Latino voters who feel they did not get to pick the best candidate, leaving them with less trust in the process and wondering whether their vote makes a difference, experts said.

“Voter apathy might seep in, and that doesn’t help a community that tends to vote at the lowest levels,” Dominguez said.

At the same time, voters in the district tend to lean toward the Democratic candidate, data shows. As Patty García knocked on doors in recent weeks, she found neighbors were interested in whether she’s a Democrat, but they did not always ask about her platform, she said. 

Chuy García’s retirement leaves a void in Latino leadership that his successor will have to fill. The congressman himself said he is “worried about the future” as President Donald Trump’s policies seem aimed at dismantling the immigration system and threaten democracy.

“We need an experienced voice, a vetted voice and a vetted leader,” said former Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez, who for years was a prominent leader representing the Chicago area while pushing for immigration reform and Latino issues. Gutiérrez endorsed Chuy García to succeed him when he retired from Congress, and he was “surprised” by Chuy García’s last-minute campaign withdrawal, he said.

But having more independent candidates in the race for the 4th District could signal a shift in how Latinos, especially new generations, “want to be part of the process and are ready to step up,” said Berto Aguayo, a lawyer and renowned community organizer from Back of the Yards.

Latino young voters are tired of “traditional politics” and are looking for movement leaders who understand the “widening inequality” between the ultra-wealthy and working families and can bring “real and fast policy change,” Aguayo said in a written statement.

Becoming The Next Latino Leaders

Patty García, Macías and Sigcho-Lopez each hopes to become a powerful and much-needed voice for Latino and immigrant causes in Congress, they said.

President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration and his failure to craft policies to aid working-class families have deeply impacted residents of the 4th District, García, Macías and Sigcho-Lopez said.

Macías and Sigcho-Lopez said they also want to give voters the right to choose their representative, saying Chuy García’s last-minute withdrawal was “anti-democratic” and “unethical.”

Macías, a political aide and organizer from Back of the Yards, has engaged Latino voters and prepared Latinos for office across the country as the executive director of the Latino Victory Fund.

Macías launched her campaign in December after returning to Chicago from Washington, D.C., where she last worked as the executive director for Building Back Together, a coalition that helped pass progressive legislation under the Biden-Harris administration.

In running, Macías sees an opportunity to become a national leader “really elevating Latino issues at the level they need to be,” she said.

“We need to make sure that whoever is in that position has the experience, has the relationships and also knows how to leverage that public demand for action into policy in D.C.,” she said.

Macías has been endorsed by national groups such as End Citizens United, a group campaign against big money in politics; Moms Fed Up PAC and Nuestro PAC. Influential Latina representatives Nydia Velásquez and Teresa Leger Fernández also endorsed the Back of the Yards native. The majority of her campaign donations were made through the fundraising platform ActBlue, totaling about $98,000, and several individual in- and out-of-state donors, a Block Club analysis of campaign data as of Dec. 31 showed.

Sigcho-Lopez, serving his second term as 25th Ward alderman and close ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson, launched his campaign at the end of January as an independent Democrat Socialist.

“We need to have a voice that represents our immigrant working-class community, someone with a track record of fighting the billionaire class and represents the majority in this district,” he said.

Sigcho-Lopez started circulating petitions last week. As of December — before he announced his run — his campaign had more than $6,000 in contributions, according to federal campaign data. In the first week after announcing his candidacy, he received 612 individual donations, he said. Though Macías and García had a head start in fundraising, the Pilsen alderman said he is relying on individual donors and small businesses to support his campaign, “not super PACs or corporations.”

Most notably, Sigcho-Lopez has the support of the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America, he said. The group helped deliver a victory to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“I feel the energy in the room, and I feel ready to fight in the streets and to fight with everything we have for our community,” Sigcho-Lopez said.

While Patty García has the advantage as the Democratic party candidate, she still has to make a name for herself and move out of the congressman’s shadows, political experts said.

Patty García’s been endorsed by more than 80 political figures and labor groups, including Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez. She has received over $65,000 in donations through ActBlue, aside from dozens of contributions by local labor groups, union leaders and city and suburban officials, a Block Club analysis of campaign data shows.

As of December, Macías had outraised Patty García, with $125,950 in contributions versus the Democratic candidate’s $122,594, according to Federal Election Commission reports. By Feb. 25, García raised over $240,000, according to the latest financial report. Macías’ latest financial report was not available at the time of publication.

“I’m confident in what we have, but I’m not taking anything for granted,” Patty García said.

Representing Latino Voters

Immigration is at the core of the three Latino candidates’ campaigns. All said they saw how the federal government’s deportation efforts disrupted neighbors’ lives during Operation Midway Blitz.

This fall, federal agents shot two people in the district, killing Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, a father of two, and wounding Brighton Park resident Marimar Martinez. 

As masked federal agents regularly swept through some of the city’s majority-Latino Southwest Side neighborhoods and suburbs, business dramatically fell, shocking the local economy. Neighbors, fearful of being detained, skipped work and school.

That left residents with lingering uncertainty. It also made it clear there is an urgent need for long-overdue immigration reform, Patty García, Macías and Sigcho-Lopez said.

Patty García supports abolishing ICE because “it’s not just a political decision; it’s a moral one,” that uplifts the voices of immigrant rights organizers who’ve called for its dismantling for years, she said. She is also pushing for reform on immigration enforcement, calling for accountability over the Department of Homeland Security and diverting its funding toward improving the immigration system and clearing the immigration court backlog, she said.

Patty García also said she’d push for paths for legalization for DACA recipients and immigrants who’ve lived in the country for decades but have no direct pathway to citizenship. Her experience working behind the scenes for the congressman has prepared her to deliver policy changes, she said.

Macías supports abolishing ICE and is pushing for immigration reform that would give pathways to legalization for Dreamers and undocumented immigrants. She supports defunding the immigration agency, which would allow it to later be dismantled, and holding agents and agency leaders accountable over their immigration enforcement actions, she said.

Sigcho-Lopez has also called for abolishing ICE. He is calling to prosecute immigration agents who are “kidnapping and killing our neighbors,” he said.

And while immigration is an important issue for Latino voters, economic opportunity is the key issue, polls show. A 2025 nationwide poll of Latino voters found cost of living and inflation are the priority issues for the 2026 election, followed by employment, housing and affordability, health care and immigration.

If elected, Patty García said she will push for protecting workers’ rights, raising the minimum wage and investing in education, affordable health care and environmental protections.

For Macías, a top-of-mind priority is figuring out how government policies can promote opportunities and lower costs so “families can actually afford to live,” she said. She has “concrete proposals that are deliverable,” like expanding the child tax credit so more families could qualify without a minimum income requirement, she said.

Sigcho-Lopez’s agenda includes expanding Medicare for all, investing in people and increasing affordability by “fighting a corrupt system that gives subsidies to billionaires and corporations,” he said. He proposes reassessing federal funding to redirect funds into education, housing, SNAP and benefits for veterans and “auditing the Pentagon,” he said.

With more independent candidates in the race, Latino — and other voters in the district — may have a chance to vote for a candidate that aligns with the diverse viewpoints and needs of Latinos, Dominguez said.

“We always push back against this idea of a monolith – that all Latinos want the same, that there’s one Latino vote, when in fact, there are nuances,” Dominguez said.

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March 17, 2026 at 08:01AM