With Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia leaving office when the next congress is worn in, voters in the Illinois’ U.S. House 4th District are choosing between Democrat Patty Garcia and Republican Lupe Castillo on Election Day.
Rep. Garcia had initially filed petitions to run again in 2026, but dropped out of the race at the last minute because of family health issues, he said. That left Patty Garcia, who is not related to him and also served as his chief of staff, as the only candidate on the ballot in the Democratic primary in March.
The last minute move caused upset, with Rep. Garcia accepting some criticism for what some called a bait-and-switch. It became a central issue in the race for the 4th District seat.
Both Castillo and Garcia were critical of the congressman’s decision, with Castillo saying it showed he isn’t trustworthy and Garcia admitting it left her with “a very hard hand to handle” when deciding to transition from chief of staff to candidate.
Two third party candidate are also on the ballot: Lyons Mayor Chris Getty running as an independent and high school science teacher Ed Hershey running as a candidate for the Working Class Party.
Illinois’ 4th Congressional District is an oddly shaped district created after federal courts ordered the state to make a Hispanic-majority district in the Chicago area.