Who is running for Rep. Chuy Garcia’s congressional seat?
CHICAGO - When U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia dropped his bid for reelection to Congress at the last minute, essentially paving the way for his chief of staff to secure the Democratic nomination, it caused an uproar within his own party.
That widely-criticized move has triggered a potentially larger general election field with multiple independent candidates vying for the seat.
The backstory:
Critics argued that waiting until the final day to drop out of the race discouraged other potential candidates from entering and denied voters a truly open primary.
Last March, the congressman’s chief of staff, Patty Garcia, no relation, was the sole Democrat on the primary ballot, and she won the nomination.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 13: U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-IL), the CPC whip, speaks at the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Congressional Progressive Caucus discussed DHS funding and the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward), who unsuccessfully ran against Garcia in 2024, called the move a "bad look." U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat from Washington state, filed a resolution condemning Garcia’s move as "fundamentally undemocratic."
For his part, Garcia, a longtime progressive Chicago politician who was first elected to Congress in 2018, said he followed the filing calendar and "took time" to reflect on his decision, especially after his family members were "begging me to come home."
The 4th Congressional District includes much of Chicago's Southwest Side, and parts of the west and southwest suburbs.
Garcia had won his last few elections by wide margins, earning 67.5% of the general election vote in 2024 and 68.4% in 2022.
What we know:
Three candidates are already running for Garcia's seat as members of established parties.
Patty Garcia (D)
Maya Cazares, from left, and her mother, Rosita Cazares, talk with Patty GarcÃa, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jesús âChuyâ GarcÃa, at Las Carnitas Uruapan in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, on Nov. 14, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicag
Since Patty Garcia was the only candidate to file for the Democratic ballot in March, she won the party's nomination in the primary.
She has served as Rep. Chuy Garcia's chief of staff since 2023, according to her biography and LinkedIn page. She had previously worked as his district director. Her campaign argues that experience has prepared her to "do the job on Day One."
Garcia's campaign says she supports raising the federal minimum wage, passing pro-union legislation, providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, abolishing ICE, and Medicare for All.
She also holds a PhD in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Lupe Castillo (R)
Lupe Castillo
Castillo challenged Rep. Garcia in the 2024 election, but lost by 40 percentage points.
While Castillo's campaign doesn't have an active website, she submitted answers to a questionnaire that was published in the Downers Grove Township Republicans in 2024. She called herself "an outspoken woman of action who isn’t afraid of a challenge."
Castillo also said she's in favor of a stronger southern border, preserving gun rights and an end to "out-of-control spending in Washington, D.C."
She also called herself a wife, mother, gun owner and a conservative.
Ed Hershey
Hershey is the candidate for the Working Class Party. He had also previously run for Congress in Garcia's district in 2024, but only garnered about 5% of the vote in that race.
In a biography on the Working Class Party's website, Hershey is described as a teacher for several years at Lindblom High School on Chicago's South Side and as a union representative.
"Working in the school system, I have seen how the city refuses to educate more and more of our youth – closing schools, starving them of funds, all while handing big payouts to companies and developers," Hershey wrote in the biography.
He'd previously run for alderman in the 25th Ward.
Independent candidates
What's next:
The controversial move prompted an unusually active period for multiple candidates looking to get on the general election ballot as independents.
It’s no small feat, as they will need to collect nearly 11,000 signatures from residents in the district in order for their name to appear on the ballot, and that’s before opponents can challenge each other’s paperwork. For context, a Democratic candidate had to collect not even 700 signatures to appear on the primary ballot.
Here is a look at the independent candidates who have filed their petitions as of Monday, the last day to file.
Chris Getty
Chris Getty
Getty is the mayor of Lyons, where he grew up, and has also held other positions in local government.
He listed his priorities as addressing the rising cost of living, finding "responsible" solutions to immigration and public safety, and government accountability.
Mayra Macias
Mayra Macias
Macias is a native of Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood who attended Yale University and has worked in electoral politics, including with Democratic campaigns.
She said her priorities have been strengthening Latino communities and working-class families.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 7: Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th District) addresses the media during a press conference at Chicago City Hall on May 7, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. Human rights organizations, including American Muslims for Palestin
Sigcho-Lopez, a native of Ecuador, has served as a Chicago City Council member since 2019. As a Democratic socialist, he’s stood as one of the most progressive voices on the council.
He lists his policy priorities as providing more housing for veterans, implementing Medicare for All, raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour, and abolishing ICE and decriminalizing immigration.