Democrat Faces Well-Financed Rival In 4th Congressional District

LA GRANGE, IL – Under the laws of politics, Democrat Patty Garcia should win the 4th Congressional District seat on Nov. 3.

Her main opponent, Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty, is trying to stop that from happening.

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The district includes Chicago neighborhoods and all or parts of La Grange, Burr Ridge, Elmhurst, Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, among other towns.

Two-thirds of the constituents are Hispanic, making it the most Latino district in the Midwest.

Many residents are still put off by the way Garcia received the Democratic Party's nod.

Last year, U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, who has served since 2019, announced his departure just before the candidate filing deadline.

His chief of staff, Patty Garcia, who is unrelated, was the only one who got an early heads-up. So she gathered enough petition signatures in time, letting her run unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Many, including Getty, criticized Chuy Garcia for his late announcement. Afterward, the House reprimanded Chuy Garcia. A Democrat from Washington State, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, introduced the resolution. Perez got the support of Republicans and a small group of Democrats.

Getty, who has run as a Democrat, made the congressman's maneuver a central issue in his campaign. He said the people, not party bosses, should decide on their representation.

Getty is running as an independent, saying he won't caucus with either major party.

The other two candidates are Republican Lupe Castillo and the Workers Party's Ed Hershey. They have raised almost no money, so they are considered weak candidates.

Federal campaign finance reports show that Getty is a serious contender. Last quarter, Getty raised $400,000 to Garcia's $480,000.

Getty's haul is unusually large for a candidate in a district that was gerrymandered for a Democrat.

Getty, also Lyons Township's elected supervisor, is a seasoned fundraiser.

He regularly raises tens of thousands of dollars from contractors that do business with Lyons and, to a lesser extent, the township.

Over the summer, Getty spent $34,500 in local campaign money to buy a car, an unusual political expense. He told the Chicago Tribune that the car was for campaigning.

Getty's insurance agency in Lyons also reaps the benefits of his United Citizens Party campaign fund. Every month, the business gets $980 in rent from the party, working out to nearly $12,000 a year.

Immigration is a big issue in the heavily Hispanic district. Garcia calls for abolishing ICE, which Getty opposes.

On her campaign website, Garcia calls for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants and protections for immigrants brought to the United States as children without proper documents. She also pushes for expanded legal services for immigrants.

In a Chicago Tribune interview, Getty, whose village is half Latino, said he backed a path to citizenship for longtime residents without permanent legal status. He also called for securing the border.

Getty said he opposed the federal government's "indiscriminately grabbing people off the street."

"Immigration enforcement should focus on protecting public safety, respect due process, and treat people with dignity," Getty said on his campaign website. "Congress should stop forcing presidents and federal agencies to govern through executive action and pass lasting immigration reform."