Illinois Congressman Lines Up Chief of Staff to Replace Him With Last-Minute Retirement

Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois is expected to retire from Congress at the end of his term and is employing a clever succession plan to line up his chief of staff as his replacement.

He filed last month for reelection, but the Chicago Sun-Times reported that his top aide, Patty Garcia, had submitted paperwork Monday evening to launch a campaign for the seat — exactly at the deadline to file, which leaves no time for potential Democratic challengers to announce their own bids. Rep. García is then expected to pull his own campaign paperwork at a later date, the Sun-Times reports.

Rep. García filed his petition for reelection on Oct. 27, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. His chief of staff, Patty Garcia, filed her petition for candidacy at 5 p.m. Monday, the exact deadline for petitions. The only other candidates are Republican Lupe Castillo, who filed at noon on Monday, and Working Class Party candidate Ed Hershey, who also filed Monday afternoon.

Rep. García’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from NOTUS.

It’s not unique for congressional staff to fill the shoes of their bosses. This year, Virginia elected Rep. James Walkinshaw, the former chief of staff to the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, to fill Connolly’s shoes after his death. Connolly had endorsed Walkinshaw about a week before passing in May.

The strategic maneuvering of filing deadlines in order to clear paths for a candidate also is not new.

Last year, then-Rep. Bill Posey, a Florida Republican, announced his retirement on the same day as the filing deadline, clearing the way for a former state Senate president, Mike Haridopolos, who silently filed for candidacy that morning. Posey later endorsed Haridopolos, who was the only Republican contender.

“Without going into a lot of personal details, stars aligned during the past week, and Mike decided he was ready for Congress,” Posey told Politico at the time. “I enthusiastically endorse him and will do everything I can to help him get elected.”

Former Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, a Florida Republican, was similarly accused of manipulating her 2010 primary election, when she announced her retirement on the day of the state’s filing deadline — moments before a local sheriff filed his candidacy on her’s recommendation.