Candidates for ‘Chuy’ Garcia’s seat in Congress face off in Fox Chicago debate
CHICAGO - Four candidates are vying to succeed U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Chicago) in Congress after the longtime political stalwart said he would retire at the end of this term.
What You Should Know:
Garcia has a reputation for his decades-long work as a progressive in city, Cook County and now national politics, but it was his exit from a reelection bid, paving the way for only one Democratic nominee in the race, who served as his chief of staff, that sparked backlash.
After a frenzied effort for independent candidates to get on the ballot, one suburban mayor successfully earned a spot. In all, voters will be able to choose from four names on the ballot: Lupe Castillo, the Republican, Patty Garcia, the Democrat, Chris Getty, an independent and the mayor of suburban Lyons, and Ed Hershey, the Working Class Party candidate.
Illinois’ 4th Congressional District includes much of Chicago's Southwest Side, and parts of the west and southwest suburbs. It’s a solidly Democratic district. Rep. Garcia won his elections by wide margins, earning 67.5% of the general election vote in 2024 and 68.4% in 2022.
Fox Chicago will host all four candidates for a live debate on air and that will stream live on the Fox Local app and on Fox Chicago’s YouTube page starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by a post-debate show at 7 p.m.
Here is a rundown of the candidates who will appear on the ballot in November.
Election Day is November 3, but early voting has already begun in much of the Chicago area.
Lupe Castillo
Lupe Castillo (R)
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.
Patty Garcia
Patty Garcia (D)
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.
Chris Getty
Chris Getty (I)
Getty is the mayor of Lyons, where he grew up, and has also held other positions in local government including as Lyons Township supervisor.
He listed his priorities as addressing the rising cost of living, finding "responsible" solutions to immigration and public safety, and government accountability.
About his stance as an independent, Getty has said, "I believe every issue should be judged on its own merits. If a Democrat has a good idea, I’ll support it. If a Republican has a good idea, I’ll support it. And if both sides are wrong, I’ll say so."
Ed Hershey
Ed Hershey (WCP)
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.