Chuy Garcia For Congress-- IL-04

Hopefully you remember Chuy Garcia from his run for mayor of Chicago in 2015. He stunned the political world by forcing Rahm Emanuel into a runoff. Last week we mentioned that Chuy, a Cook County Commissioner, is running for the IL-04 congressional seat that Luis Gutierrez is giving up. Originally we figured we'd just let it play out because the other candidate in the race is city Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who's also a good solid progressive.

Since then-- alarm bells. Rahm, the corrupt sack of conservative shit, has waded into the race to defeat Chuy. So... Blue America endorsed Chuy and so did both Gutierrez and... wait for it Bernie.

Garcia’s wing of the Democratic Party helped Sanders, the Vermont Independent, come close to beating Hillary Clinton in the March 2016 Illinois presidential primary-- in part by attacking Emanuel.

Garcia went on to become a key Sanders’ surrogate targeting Hispanic voters, traveling to key states during the campaign.

Sanders has kept his political movement alive with the creation of his “Our Revolution” nonprofit. The leaders of Our Revolution Illinois in Chicago include Garcia and Cook County Clerk David Orr. The chair is Clem Balanoff, who led Sanders’ Illinois presidential drive.

The seat has a history.

This incredibly gerrymandered “C” or earmuff shaped 4th District was created in 1992 to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The idea was to consolidate Hispanic voting strength by linking the North Side largely Puerto Rican neighborhoods with the Mexican-American communities on the South Side.

Gutierrez became the first Hispanic House member from Illinois, holding that seat since its inception. Why Sanders endorsement is a big deal for Garcia in a Democratic primary:

• Sanders resonates with the non-Hispanic parts of the district — the hipsters and millennials and traditional liberals and progressive in the city.
• The district also takes in Cicero and some other suburban territory as it snakes it way west all the way to the 294 Interstate. And in the suburbs, Sanders has influence among the newest generation of activist Democrats who are loosely banded together in the “Indivisible” movement born after the election of President Donald Trump.
• This gives Garcia a fundraising edge if Sanders asks his backers to donate to Garcia. It’s highly likely Sanders would, if needed, fly to Chicago to stump for Garcia.
• Garcia now has a ready-made Sanders national organization to bolster his House bid.
• Sanders’ backing of Garcia gives him standing outside Chicago political fishbowl.

“Chuy Garcia is the right person at the right time for the work we have ahead of us,” Sanders said in a statement.

“He is ready and willing to stand up and fight for the working families of Chicago and our nation and take on the powerful special interests who have far too much power over the economic and political life of our country. He is also an experienced legislator who has risen up the ladder of Chicago’s brawling politics. That makes him well groomed for jumping into the House’s rough and tumble political battles.” Sanders said.

So Rahm stuck his own friendly-faced shill into the race, Sol Flores, who most recently served on his transition team and is likely to benefit from a ton of murky corporate financing. If you'd like to help make sure Chuy Garcia is the next super-progressive in Congress, please click on the thermometer above.