Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez announces independent run for Rep. Chuy Garcia's congressional seat
Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) announced Wednesday he is running as an independent candidate for U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's seat in Congress.
Garcia, who has represented the 4th Congressional District in Illinois since 2019, announced in November that he wouldn't seek reelection in 2026. He waited until just hours before the filing deadline for the March 17 primary election, clearing the way for his chief of staff, Patty Garcia (no relation) to be the only Democratic candidate on the ballot.
Congressman Garcia has said he made the decision not to run for reelection at the last minute after his cardiologist recommended he not run.
But Sigcho-Lopez accused the congressman of intentionally orchestrating a maneuver to have his chief of staff as the only Democrat running for his seat.
"Patty and her mentor mapped out an old school establishment anti-democratic back room deal, and decided to hide the fact that this was planned all along for a retirement. Doing this intentionally kept other candidates out of the race and took away the will of the voters," Sigcho-Lopez said.
A Democratic socialist, Sigcho-Lopez has represented the 25th Ward – which includes Pilsen, Little Village, University Village, among other Southwest Side neighborhoods – since 2019.
He said, if elected, he would fight back against the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown, accusing federal agents of "kidnapping and murdering people on American streets," an apparent reference to the shooting death of Silvero Villegas-Gonzalez by ICE agents in northwest Franklin Park last fall, and the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier this month.
Sigcho-Lopez said he would seek to abolish ICE and "prosecute federal agents who kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered parents and public servants."
Aside from his opposition to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts, Sigcho-Lopez said he would push for Medicare for all, expanded mental health services, and an end to tax breaks for corporations and billionaires.
Sigcho-Lopez can begin gathering signatures on nominating petitions for an independent campaign for Congress in late February. The filing deadline is May 26.