House Publicly Rebukes Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García Over Scheme to Install Chosen Successor

The House voted 236-183 on Tuesday to publicly rebuke retiring Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García, D-Ill., for actions that critics say effectively positioned his chief of staff as the only Democrat on the primary ballot in his Chicago-area district. The rebuke, authored by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (MGP), passed with 23 Democrats joining nearly all House Republicans in support.

What happened

This fall García initially filed paperwork to run for re-election in 2026, then announced his retirement after the filing deadline. His campaign acknowledged it had quietly collected nominating signatures for his chief of staff, Patty García, who filed her own paperwork just hours before the Nov. 3 deadline — a sequence that left her as the sole Democrat on the primary ballot in a heavily Democratic district. The two are not related.

Debate and votes

On the House floor, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez introduced a resolution accusing García of "undermining the process of a free and fair election" and described the actions as election subversion. A motion by Democratic whip Rep. Katherine Clark to table that resolution — which would have killed it — failed 206-211; Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) joined Gluesenkamp Perez to keep the measure alive. The final rebuke passed 236-183.

Responses and context

García defended his conduct as legal and said personal and family circumstances prompted his decision to step back. He told colleagues he had been warned by his cardiologist about serious health risks, and that his wife — who has had multiple sclerosis for 15 years and whose condition has worsened — did not want him to run. He also cited the death of a daughter two years ago and the couple's recent adoption of one of her children.

"I decided that it was time to dedicate more of my time to the people who have sacrificed the most," García said on the House floor.

"I feel deeply for the sacrifice that it’s taken him to serve his community. That does not legitimize the way in which he left his seat and choosing his successor and refusing to be forthright with his constituents," Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez replied.

High-profile Democrats and strategists criticized García’s maneuver. Political strategist David Axelrod called it "Chicago machine tactics" and "election denial," while Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), a former House colleague, described the move as "undemocratic." Some members also noted the rebuke came shortly after the House overwhelmingly passed legislation to release government files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and expressed regret that the rebuke highlighted intra-party divisions at a moment when Democrats were otherwise unified on that issue.

What the rebuke means

The House rebuke is a formal public admonition but does not remove García from office or carry direct legal penalties. It serves as a public record of disapproval and underscores tensions within the Democratic caucus over electoral norms and transparency.