Jesús G. "Chuy" García
DemocratU.S. Representative, IL-4| Age | 70 (b. 1956-04-12) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2019-01-03 (~7 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Hispanic/Latino (Mexican American) |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science and M.A. in Urban Planning and Policy, both from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed his bachelor's degree later in life (he has said it took 25 years) and his master's degree around 2002. |
| Prior occupation | Community organizer and nonprofit executive; worked at the Legal Assistance Foundation (1977-1980), assistant director of the Little Village Neighborhood Housing Service, Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water (1984-1986), and founder/executive director of the Little Village Community Development Corporation (later Enlace). |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Los Pinos, Durango, Mexico (foreign-born) |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Marital status | Married — Evelyn García |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Little Village (South Lawndale), Chicago, Illinois |
Pending research: religion · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1986 |
| Previous offices | Cook County Democratic Party Committeeman, 22nd Ward (1984-2000) · Chicago City Council, Alderman, 22nd Ward (1986-1993) · Illinois State Senate, 1st District (1993-1999) · Cook County Board of Commissioners, 7th District (2011-2018) |
| Committees | House Committee on the Judiciary · House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure |
| Caucuses | Congressional Hispanic Caucus · Congressional Progressive Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus (LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus) |
| Leadership | Deputy Whip, Congressional Progressive Caucus |
| Ideology | Consistently described as progressive throughout his career; member and Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus; endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020. |
| Signature legislation | New Way Forward Act (immigration reform, introduced 2019) · Reward Work Act |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $262,010–$630,000 (2018) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) ($20,000) · Amalgamated Transit Union ($10,050) · Air Line Pilots Association ($10,000) · Allied Pilots Association ($10,000)
Top industries: Labor unions (building trades, transportation unions, public sector unions)
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — House Disapproval Resolution H.Res. 878 — Succession Scheme
On October 27, 2025, García filed nominating petitions to run for re-election in 2026. On November 5, 2025 — the last day of Illinois's candidate filing deadline — his chief of staff Patty García filed her own Democratic primary petitions. The following day, after the deadline had passed, García announced his retirement and withdrew his petitions, leaving Patty García as the sole Democrat on the primary ballot and effectively foreclosing competition. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D-WA) introduced H.Res. 878, accusing García of 'undermining the process of a free and fair election.' On November 18, 2025, the full House passed the disapproval resolution 236-183 — with 23 Democrats joining nearly all Republicans — formally declaring his conduct beneath the dignity of his office. García remained in Congress as a lame duck through the end of his term.