Chuy García facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuy García
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Luis Gutiérrez
Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 7th district
In office January 3, 2011 – November 30, 2018
Preceded by	Joseph Mario Moreno
Succeeded by	Alma Anaya
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 1st district
In office January 13, 1993 – January 13, 1999
Preceded by	Howard W. Carroll
Succeeded by	Antonio Munoz
Member of the Chicago City Council from the 22nd ward
In office March 25, 1986 – January 1, 1993
Preceded by	Frank Stemberk
Succeeded by	Ricardo Muñoz
Personal details
Born	Jesús G. García (1956-04-12) April 12, 1956 (age 69) Durango, Mexico
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Evelyn García ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	3
Education	University of Illinois, Chicago (BA, MUP)
Signature

Jesús G. "Chuy" García (born April 12, 1956) is an American politician. He serves as a U.S. Representative for Illinois's 4th district since 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before joining Congress, he worked in different government roles. He was on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, in the Illinois Senate, and on the Chicago City Council. He also ran for mayor of Chicago in 2015 and 2023. People often describe him as a "progressive," meaning he supports social and political changes that aim to improve society.

García was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1986. He was a strong supporter of Mayor Harold Washington during this time. In 1992, he made history as the first Mexican-American to join the Illinois State Senate. He lost his bid for reelection to the state senate in 1998.

In 2010, García was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. He ran for mayor of Chicago in 2015, coming in second. This led to a second election against the current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who won. In 2018, García won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He took over from Luis Gutiérrez, who was retiring. He ran for mayor of Chicago again in 2023 but did not win.

Chuy García's Early Life and School

García was born in Durango, Mexico. His father worked as a farm laborer in the U.S. through a special program.

In 1965, García moved to the U.S. and became a permanent resident. His family settled in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. García still lives there today. He went to St. Rita High School and finished in 1974. In 1977, he became a U.S. citizen.

From 1977 to 1980, García worked at the Legal Assistance Foundation. During this time, he also earned a degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. After that, he became assistant director of the Little Village Neighborhood Housing Service until 1984.

Start of Chuy García's Political Journey

Working on the Chicago City Council

In 1983, García managed the campaign for labor organizer Rudy Lozano. Lozano ran against Frank Stemberk for a city council seat. Lozano lost by a very small number of votes. Lozano was later murdered in 1983. His supporters believe he was killed because of his work for workers and in politics. In 1984, García decided to run against Stemberk himself. Lozano's supporters backed García, and Mayor Harold Washington also supported him.

Stemberk was an ally of Alderman Edward Vrdolyak, who controlled the city council. This created a big disagreement between the mayor and the council, known as the "Council Wars." García won against Stemberk with strong support from Lozano's followers and Mayor Washington. Unlike others in his position, García used his office to help people in his community. Mayor Washington also made him Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Water from 1984 to 1986.

García in 2015

Later, a court ruled that the city's ward map was unfair to Black and Hispanic voters. In 1985, a judge ordered special elections in seven wards, including García's. These elections gave Mayor Washington a chance to gain control of the city council. Stemberk chose not to run again, and García ran for the open seat. García won this special election in 1986.

His victory, along with two other Washington supporters, changed the balance of power. Soon after, another Washington ally won, making the council evenly split. Since Mayor Washington could break ties, he took control, and the "Council Wars" ended. García was reelected to the city council in 1987 and 1991. He worked on many committees, including Budget, Economic Development, and Education. He also led the Aviation committee.

Serving in the Illinois Senate

In 1992, García ran for the Illinois Senate in the 1st district. He won the Democratic primary election. This win was almost like winning the main election because the district was very Democratic. In the general election, García easily defeated his Republican opponent. He became the first state senator in Illinois of Mexican descent. García then left the city council, and his friend Ricardo Muñoz took his place.

García at a Bernie Sanders rally in Los Angeles, California, May 2016

In 1996, García was challenged by Alderman Juan Soliz in the Democratic primary. Soliz had been supported by Vrdolyak, which made many Chicago Hispanics upset. García won against Soliz and was reelected without opposition in the general election. As a senator, García helped pass laws that supported immigrants, especially in health care and education. In 1998, he lost his reelection bid to Antonio Munoz. Munoz was supported by a powerful political group.

Time Outside of Elected Office

After losing his senate seat, García left office in January 1999. He then started and became the leader of the Little Village Community Development Corporation. This group, now called Enlace, grew to have many employees and a large budget. In 2005, he helped create the Latino Action Research Network. This group aimed to better represent the city's Latino population.

In 2001, García and community members demanded a new high school. The school had been promised but not funded. Fourteen parents and grandparents started a hunger strike. The head of Chicago Public Schools, Paul Vallas, first refused to meet them. But after a week, he visited to talk. The hunger strike lasted 19 days and put a lot of public pressure on the school district.

In August 2001, the new Chicago Public Schools CEO, Arne Duncan, found money to start building the school. Community members continued to be involved in designing the new school. They surveyed parents to help decide what the school would focus on.

Joining the Cook County Board of Commissioners

In 2010, García ran for the Cook County Board of Commissioners. He challenged Joseph Mario Moreno in the Democratic primary and won. In the general election, he defeated the Green Party candidate. After winning, Toni Preckwinkle appointed García as Floor Leader. He was reelected without opposition in 2014.

Running for Mayor in 2015

García decided to run for mayor against the current mayor, Rahm Emanuel. He was asked to run by Karen Lewis, a leader who had to stop her own campaign due to illness. In the first election on February 24, García won 34% of the votes. Emanuel did not get more than 50%, so they had a second election, called a runoff, on April 7. This election gained national attention. Senator Bernie Sanders supported García, calling it a "political revolution in Chicago." García lost the runoff election, with Emanuel winning 55% of the votes.

After the Mayoral Election

García in 2017 at a protest against Donald Trump

García supported Bernie Sanders for President in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. In 2016, García was an elector for Illinois. He voted for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine in the Electoral College.

When Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced he would not run for a third term in 2019, many thought a Latino politician might run. Luis Gutiérrez and García were considered. Gutiérrez then said he wanted García to run. Sanders also hoped García would consider it. However, García decided not to run for mayor that year.

In the 2019 mayoral runoff election, García supported Lori Lightfoot. This was a setback for Lightfoot's opponent, Toni Preckwinkle. Preckwinkle had been García's ally but did not support him in his 2015 mayoral run. Lightfoot won the election easily.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

García at a congressional campaign rally in South Lawndale, Chicago, February 2018

As a member of Congress, García has become an important figure in Illinois politics. He was an ally of then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. García first supported Madigan during his reelection campaign in 2016.

Elections to Congress

2018 Election

On November 27, 2017, Congressman Luis Gutiérrez announced he would retire. The next day, García said he planned to run for the open seat. Gutiérrez publicly supported García as his replacement. Bernie Sanders also endorsed García. Many saw this as a clear path for García to win, as the district is very Democratic.

García won the Democratic nomination in March 2018 with 60% of the votes. He then won the general election on November 6 with 86% of the votes.

2020 Election

García ran for reelection in 2020 and faced no opponents in the primary election. The Republican candidate, Christopher Lasky, passed away before the election but still won the primary. After the primary, party leaders chose Jesus Solorio as the new Republican candidate. García won the general election with almost 85% of the votes.

2022 Election

García was reelected for his third term. He defeated Republican candidate James Falakos and Working Class Party candidate Edward Hershey.

His Work in Congress

Immigration

García with Toni Preckwinkle and First Lady Jill Biden at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen in October 2021

In July 2019, during a hearing, García questioned a former director of ICE. He asked about the policy that separated families at the border. He wondered if the director cared about the children involved. Some people criticized García's questions.

On December 10, 2019, García introduced a bill called the New Way Forward Act. This bill aimed to make changes to immigration laws.

Foreign Policy

In July 2019, García voted against a House resolution. This resolution condemned a movement that targets Israel. The resolution passed with many votes in favor.

In 2021, García was one of eight Democrats who voted against funding Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.

In 2023, García was among 56 Democrats who voted to ask President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

2024 Presidential Election

On July 19, 2024, García suggested that Joe Biden should withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

García was one of 46 Democrats who voted against the final approval of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House of Representatives.

Committees He Serves On

García with President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters in 2021

For the 118th Congress, Chuy García is part of these committees:

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Groups He Belongs To

Chuy García is a member of several groups in Congress:

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus

Running for Mayor Again in 2023

In early 2022, people thought García might run against Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the 2023 election. He had said that Lightfoot faced a very tough reelection.

García was interested in running because Mayor Lightfoot was not very popular. A poll even showed him leading her. On November 10, 2022, García announced his second campaign for mayor of Chicago. This was 40 years after his mentor, Harold Washington, announced his own mayoral run. García's announcement came just two days after he was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Lightfoot criticized him for "leaving Congress" when the Democratic Party was losing its majority.

García was the last of the nine candidates to announce his campaign. By the time he did, many groups that supported him in 2015 had already pledged their support to Brandon Johnson. García asked some groups to wait, but they endorsed Johnson when García didn't set a date for his announcement.

García received support from many important people. These included former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, former Chicago mayor David Orr, and U.S. Representatives Luis Gutiérrez and Jan Schakowsky. He was also endorsed by activist Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers.

García was the only Latino candidate in the election. He and Paul Vallas were the only two candidates who were not Black.

García faced some issues during his campaign. He received political donations from Sam Bankman-Fried, and there were stories linking him to activities involving Michael Madigan and Commonwealth Edison. Mayor Lightfoot used these issues in her ads against him.

As Paul Vallas gained popularity, García joined Lightfoot in criticizing Vallas. They said Vallas was too close to the Republican Party. García and Lightfoot also attacked Vallas for his relationship with the Chicago police union. García said Vallas's closeness to the police union meant there would be "no police accountability" if Vallas became mayor. He called the police union "far right."

García also had disagreements with Brandon Johnson. Johnson said García had "abandoned the progressive movement." He also said García was like Lightfoot in his plans for fighting crime. Johnson also claimed García had been absent from work on issues affecting Latino neighborhoods. García said Johnson's tax plans were incomplete and that a mayor couldn't make them happen alone. He also questioned if Johnson, a former union organizer, could fairly negotiate with the teachers' union.

Despite once being a strong candidate, García lost in the first round of the election. He came in fourth out of nine candidates. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson came in first and second, moving on to the runoff election.

García won in only six of the city's 50 wards. All six were wards with Latino aldermen. In five of these, Vallas was the runner-up. One reason for García's low performance was that fewer people voted in Latino-majority wards. This had also happened in the 2019 mayoral election. García also did not win in some Northwest-side Latino wards that had strongly supported him before. Johnson won two of these wards, and Vallas won the other two. On March 17, García endorsed Johnson for the runoff election.

Electoral History

Illinois State Senate Elections

Cook County Board of Commissioners Elections

U.S. House of Representatives Elections

Mayor of Chicago Elections

Chuy García's Family Life

García with his family

García and his wife, Evelyn, got married in 1980. They have three children. They live in the Little Village neighborhood in Chicago. In April 2023, García's daughter, Rosa, passed away at 28 years old.

See also

• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• Mexicans in Chicago

Images for kids

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