Patty Garcia takes seat in 4th District after defeating three challengers

In Little Village, Patty Garcia won the election for the 4th Congressional District on Tuesday. She defeated independent Chris Getty, Republican Lupe Castillo, and Working Party candidate Ed Hershey. The Associated Press reported that Garcia secured 70.6 percent of the vote, with 27.8 percent of ballots counted at the time of the announcement.

Castillo received 15.1 percent of the total votes, while Getty and Hershey garnered 10.4 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. Garcia previously served as the chief of staff for retiring U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. The 4th District is the only majority-Latino district in the Midwest, a status that has defined its political identity for decades.

The district, often referred to by its shape as the “ear muffs” district, covers a wide geographic area. It stretches north to Franklin Park, west to Oak Brook, east to Pilsen, and south to Burbank. The area includes Little Village, Back of the Yards, and most of the city’s Southwest Side. It also encompasses southwest suburbs such as Berwyn and Cicero. According to 2024 American Community Survey data, about 65 percent of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, with 85 percent of that group being of Mexican descent.

During a victory party at the Teamsters Local 743 Hall, Garcia addressed her supporters. She stated, “Tonight, the people of the Fourth District made history. From Little Village to Melrose Park, from Cicero to Elmhurst, voters chose to send the first woman ever to represent this district in Congress, and the first Mexican-American woman from the Midwest to serve in the U.S. House.” The district has a population of over 700,000 people, with a median household income of approximately $80,000, according to 2024 U.S. Census data.

The campaign featured a specific focus on working-class families and immigration policy. Garcia campaigned on her experience in the previous administration and her stance to abolish U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. Her campaign received support from Gov. JB Pritzker, over 50 unions, and more than 200 endorsements, according to her campaign website. On Tuesday morning, she greeted voters in Little Village alongside Pritzker and other state Democratic officials, expressing confidence in her support base.

Criticism arose early in the race regarding the process that allowed Garcia to reach the ballot. Rep. Garcia filed nominating petitions before announcing his retirement, a move opponents called old-school machine tactics. This strategy left Garcia as the sole Democratic candidate in the primary. Four independent candidates initially sought to challenge her. Pilsen Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, organizer Mayra Macías, and Mayor Getty filed over 10,000 petition signatures. A fourth candidate, Lyndsey Church, dropped her bid.

State election officials later removed Sigcho-Lopez and Macías from the ballot. They ruled that the candidates failed to meet the minimum signature requirement for independent candidates. This decision followed objections from three individuals who challenged the validity of the petitions. Sigcho-Lopez and Macías described the process as an active effort to keep them off the ballot. Garcia dismissed the criticism in a recent debate, noting that 75 volunteers gathered over 2,500 signatures in a limited time to secure her ballot placement.

Garcia identified abolishing ICE as her top priority upon entering office. She cited the need to hold the federal agency accountable for the deaths of immigrants, referencing Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, who was fatally shot by agents in Franklin Park last fall. She told reporters, “When we launched our campaign, I was very blunt. I said, ‘F, ICE’ and that continues to be my position.”