4th District race in Illinois pits Democrat Patty Garcia against Republican Lupe Castillo

U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia is retiring at the end of his term, and four candidates have lined up to run for his seat in Illinois' 4th Congressional District in the upcoming November election.

Garcia has represented the district, which covers parts of the Southwest Side of Chicago and southwest suburbs, since 2019.

He filed petitions to run again this year, but dropped out of the race at the last minute, citing family health issues.

That left his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, who is not related to the congressman, as the only candidate on the ballot in the Democratic primary in March.

Some called the maneuver a bait and switch, and Congressman Garcia has accepted some criticism, and it's now a central issue in the race for his seat.

Republican candidate Lupe Castillo said the way Congressman Garcia left the race shows he's not trustworthy and still does things the "Democratic machine way."

"Doing it through the back, coming up with things that aren't fair for anybody else," she said. "The way that he did it on the last day, he made the announcement at the last hour, was not fair."

Patty Garcia said the congressman's last-minute decision to drop out of the race left her with "a very hard hand to handle" in her decision to transition from chief of staff to candidate.

"I had less than 24 hours to make that decision," she said.

While some have viewed the congressman's decision as a move to clear the field for his favored candidate for his seat, but Patty Garcia said there was nothing fortunate about her boss' decision.

"It is not fortunate to wish that someone would be ill to the point that they can't serve," she said.

She noted there are also two third-party candidates who were able to get on the ballot after the congressman left the race, despite facing stricter requirements for their nominating petitions.

Lyons Mayor Chris Getty is running as an independent candidate, and Lindblom High School science teacher Ed Hershey is running as the Working Class Party candidate.

Castillo acknowledged she faces an steep challenge to win the race as a Republican in a heavily Democratic district.

"Oh, yes it is," she said.

Castillo grew up in Bridgeport, worked as a pharmacist and a baker, and has made Little Village home for decades.

"It's sort of turning around, but I don't think it's turning around fast enough," she said. "It's doing it very slow, because of what's going on in the neighborhood with the undocumented people that we have here."

Asked how she views Operation Midway Blitz, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Chicago last year, Castillo said, "it's neither here nor there. It could have been handled a little bit better."

While Castillo said she's in favor of large parts of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts, she stopped short of calling for another wave of immigration raids in Chicago.

"I wouldn't say to that extent, you know, the way they came in," she said. "There is no right way to do it. Nobody's going to like it, no matter what."

For her part, Patty Garcia said it's time to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"I know it's controversial for some folks, but what's radical for me is that we're taking food from seniors, taking food from kids, and instead wasting it on this rogue agency that has gone out there with a blank check and gone unchecked," she said.

She also voiced her support for impeaching President Trump if she is elected to Congress.

"I've been vocal about my intention to hold ICE accountable, but that also includes Trump, that includes any of the folks around him, any of his cabinet secretaries," she said.