As we have noted it’s going to be a slugfest with a crowded field from all corners of the city, from the young to the old, from the wealthy to the poor, and somewhere in between.
Garcia has been in this game before, in 2015, when he was a candidate, running against Rahm Emanuel, and whose last minute endorsement of then candidate Lori Lightfoot, propelled her candidacy and she won the election, Now, with an “anyone but Lightfoot” mantra, older faces are as welcome as new ones, and Garcia, recently re-elected to Congress has a hand in the fire of bruising Chicago politics, where character assassination and dirt digging are only the beginning.
Garcia's avuncular profile might avoid him some of the most serious blows, but he has some baggage, mainly that he endorsed the recently sullied former Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, whose pay to play with a local utility company has Garcia tagged by some as part of the machine.
In 2018, the Sun-Times reported that “Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia on Friday issued a glowing review of Mike Madigan as chair of the state Democratic Party — saying he is the “clear choice” and “will turn a statewide majority into progressive action.”
“The progressive stamp of approval comes just days before the 36 state central committeemen and committeewomen prepare to vote for the party chair on Monday in Springfield.”
And it’s not the first time the two have had each other’s backs. Garcia in 2016 endorsed Madigan over a heavily-funded opponent. Garcia, who was named a Bernie Sanders national delegate, appeared in mailers endorsing Madigan.”
Garcia also said, at the time, in the Sun-Times piece, "As a progressive Democrat, it is my intention to support a state party chair who will work with me to advance our most fundamental goals,” Garcia said in a statement released on Friday. “… I will support a chair, who, above all, knows that our goal as a Democratic Party and as a progressive movement must be to build a broad coalition that can deliver this change. Michael Madigan is the clear choice.”
Garcia said Madigan “will turn a statewide majority into progressive action” — and is helping to put a $15 minimum wage on the governor’s desk, fighting to make the wealthy “pay their fair share” and is working to help support a women’s right to choose, among other efforts.
Garcia said Madigan “puts first the interests of the people of Illinois and the progressive principles of the Democratic party.”
While he said that the Madigan endorsement was more of a political move, not a spiritual one, time will tell if voters will accept that assertion, if not irony.
Garcia has also heralded his association with the late Harold Washington, but an advocacy organization sent out a statement, without naming him, that the bond was not as tight as portrayed, and since then Garcia has tamped that down.
The date chosen for the announcement was also timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Washington’s announcement that he would seek the mayor's office.
WTTW reported in a nostalgic vein, said that “García’s election to the Chicago City Council 1986 helped Washington end the so-called Council Wars, and prevent a group of white alderpeople led by now-indicted Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward) from blocking the mayor’s initiatives and appointments. Washington died in 1987.”
They also noted that “García has served in government at nearly all levels during his nearly half-century career in Illinois politics, including in the General Assembly, Cook County Board and U.S. House of Representatives. García, first elected in 2018 to represent Illinois’ 4th Congressional District, was reelected Tuesday — and it is unclear whether Democrats will continue to control the House.”
One issue that local press has mentioned is his association with city progressives in the council who while somewhat fractious, but not broken, needs mending, and Garcia who in the past has distanced himself from them, will have to work hard to harness their support and votes. But, he has also branded himself as a coalition builder, so this will be a test of these abilities.
He also will have to face the powerful Chicago Teachers Union who on Monday issued support for Brandon Johnson and also, that same day, got the endorsement from the Service Employees International Union, SEIU, giving an edge over Garcia, who some say waited to long to run, and others say that it might throw Johnson’s campaign into chaos; but, time will tell for the latter.
“Johnson welcomed García to the race in a statement that did not mention him by name, and said he looked forward to spirited and engaging discussion among all candidates about the future of our city,” said WTTW.
Race is an issue, and in a town that is often dominated by race, Garcia's Mexican American ancestry gained significant support afterwards but also shows the gains that Latinos have gained city and state wide influence that makes his candidacy notable.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials released in June, ahead of the midterms that there were more than 353,000 Latino ballots in the election.
Chicago has a sizable Mexican population, and one that has grown even further in political influence, and votes, and NALEO has noted that the ballot increase represents a 62.2% increase since 2014.
They are also younger voters with an 18-24 year population “comprising 15 percent of registered Latinos, compared to 7 percent of non-Latinos, Similarly, 25 percent of Latino registered voters are 25-34-year-olds, compared to 16 percent of non-Latinos.”
This gives Garcia an edge, but he may be seen as too old for the youngest of voters, but ethnicity might win them over.
Demographics also show, according to their figures, that while there was a population decrease in the city from 2010 and 2020, “the state’s Latino population grew from 2 million, to 2.3 million, increasing 15 percent. By comparison, the state's non-Latino population decreased by 3.0 percent,” NALEO added.
The Washington association can be used to attract the Black vote, but with existing divisions and many members of both groups competing for the same jobs, and with differing cultural markers, including religion, that may not be enough.
The current mayor, Lori Lightfoot shot back a sharp retort:, “In a statement, Lightfoot's campaign spokesperson Christina Freundlich called García a "career politician" and accused him of "prioritizing his own ambitions" during a time of crisis for Chicago, rather than providing "the tough, principled leadership our city needs.”
"Mr. García spent months dithering on whether to get in this race, saying publicly he’d only run if Democrats lost the House," Freundlich said. "Now, a mere 36 hours after voters reelected him to Congress, and as Republicans prepare to use their new slim majority to strip away our rights, Mr. García is abandoning ship."
The plot thickens when we pull back the camera and see that “Johnson is backed by all of the groups that have been working for nearly a year to unite behind one candidate to challenge Lightfoot.
Splitting a coalition makes it all the more challenging for Johnson, but he has said, “I am both honored and humbled by the broad-based, multiracial and multigenerational support that I continue to receive for my candidacy, "and also that, "My vision remains clear: The people and families of Chicago demand change, and I am the one candidate who can deliver on a safe, equitable and inclusive future for us all.”
Safety is the watchword with drive by shootings, gang violence, car jackings, retail robberies and muggings a near daily occurrence. Adding to the mix is the safety of Chicago’s famous El trains who have become scenes of violent crimes, robberies and beatings as perpetrators rob passengers of smartphones, purses, and anything of value, not just at night but in rush hour, as well.
Garcia offered no specifics on how he would tackle Chicago’s burgeoning crime.
Time is of the essence and being in Congress and running for mayor can be time consuming, and can one short the other?
Local CBS News reported that ,“Volunteers were openly collecting petitions to get Garcia's name on the city ballot in February and passing out pins with his mustache. What's circulating now is how Garcia can run his Chicago race from Washington D.C.?
"He has to just be here as much as possible," said Suzanne Chod, North Central College political science professor.
"I imagine he's going to be in D.C. a lot less than he would otherwise," added Brian Gaines, a political science professor at the University of Illinois.
CBS 2 tapped political science professors Brian Gaines and Suzanne Chod for some perspective.
"The calendar for his current job is actually really good for him to be able to do two things at once," said Chod, who counts 12 legislative days left on the 2022 congressional schedule.
She estimates about two and a half weeks worth of work next year before Chicago voters head to the polls.
"So the timing works really well for this, because on days he has to vote or days he's supposed to be doing committee work, it's only 30 days."
Timing is everything and this time with expectations that the GOP will take the House, that might be, or not be, the best of times, and even the most optimistic tone can change.
