Lyons Mayor Rakes In $400K For Congress Race, Almost Reaching Democrat Hopeful's Haul

LYONS, IL – Few doubt the campaign fundraising prowess of Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty.

For years, Getty, also Lyons Township's elected supervisor, has raised hundreds of thousands for his local campaign accounts, despite facing no opposition.

He is now running as an independent for Congress in the 4th District, facing Democrat Patty Garcia.

Despite Garcia's establishment backing, Getty came close to her fundraising amount in the latest quarter. He raised just above $400,000, while she raised $480,000, according to their federal campaign reports.

Most mayors get little in the way of contributions; many haven't even opened campaign accounts.

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

According to Getty's latest quarter's reports, Burt Odelson, Lyons' attorney, donated $7,000 to Getty's congressional campaign and another $750 to one of his local campaign accounts.

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.

Over the summer, Getty spent $34,500 in local campaign money to buy a car, an unusual political expense. It was unclear what the car was for; his campaign did not return messages at the time.

Last year, U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, a Democrat who represents many western suburbs, announced his departure just before the 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. The House reprimanded Garcia, a move inspired by a Democratic congresswoman from Washington state.

Getty, previously considered a Democrat, said he won't take marching orders from Democrats or Republicans if he is elected.

The 4th District was drawn for a Democrat. The Republican candidate is Lupe Castillo. She hasn't even filed a campaign finance report, meaning she hasn't met the threshold to do so.

The Workers Party candidate is Ed Hershey.