By Jolhn Dempsey, WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) Eleven candidates have filed nominating petitions to replace retiring Chicago Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez, who made the surprise announcement last week to retire at the end of his current term.
The person Gutierrez has endorsed to replace him is Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia, who told “The Big John and Ramblin’ Ray Show” on WLS that he is the best choice to represent voters in the heavily Hispanic 4th Congressional district.
“I believe there’s a great urgency in the U.S. Congress, especially under this administration and the composition of the Congress, to have an immigrant voice” said Garcia. “Someone who came to this country 52 years ago, who is embedded in the immigrant reality that compromises so much of the fourth congressional district, someone who will fight for protection of the young people who could be deported if there isn’t a resolution of the DACA executive order.”
DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is an Obama era program that granted legal protection to thousands of illegal immigrants brought to the United State as children. President Donald Trump has announced he intends to scrap the program unless Congress can reach an agreement to extend it.
If Garcia succeeds Gutierrez in Congress, it removes an impediment to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2019 re-election. Garcia was seen as one of Emanuel’s strongest potential rivals after forcing the Mayor into a runoff in 2015. However Garcia told WLS neither he nor Gutierrez made any kind of deal with Emanuel to persuade Gutierrez to retire.
“No, the Mayor did not have anything to do with my decision to enter the race, or with Luis’ decision to announce his retirement from Congress at the end of his term.”
Garcia is one of eleven candidates filing petitions to run for the 4th Congressional District seat. The list has four Republicans and seven Democrats, and includes three Chicago Aldermen, Democrats Proco Joe Moreno (1st), Raymond Lopez (15th), and Carlos Ramirez Rosa (35th).
@ 2017 WLS-AM News
