The House of Representatives voted to publicly rebuke retiring Rep. Chuy García, D-Ill., over his plan to handpick his successor. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., authored the resolution and said she disapproved of García’s actions.
Twenty-three Democrats joined almost all Republicans to vote yes on the resolution. The legislation accuses García of “undermining the process of a free and fair election,” characterizing his actions as election subversion.
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What did García do?
In late October, García filed paperwork to run for re-election in 2026. However, days later, after the deadline to file for the race had passed, he announced he was retiring after four terms in Congress.
During that time, García’s campaign began collecting signatures for his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, to qualify. The two are not related. She filed to run hours before the deadline, ensuring she would be the only Democrat on the ballot.
Rep. García acknowledged that this chain of events allowed his chief of staff to run but said what he did was legal. He said he did not do it so he could choose his successor, as many alleged, but instead because of health and family reasons.
García, who is 69, said he talked to his doctor, who said his lifestyle was putting his life at risk and he needed to focus on his health. The next day, his wife told him not to run and that her multiple sclerosis was worsening. The couple’s daughter also died a year ago and left four children behind. He said he and his wife had already adopted one of them.
However, a petition signature page submitted by Patty Garcia had his name as the first signature. Rep. García signed the document three days before he announced his retirement.
What happened during the vote?
On Monday, Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., tried to table the resolution rebuking García, but her motion was voted down after other Democrats voted to keep the measure alive. Gluesenkamp Perez debated Democrats who still support García.
During the debates, she questioned whether they condoned subverting an election just because it was legal.
“That’s not what we’re here to do,” she said.
García defended himself, saying that after seven years as a representative, “it was time to dedicate more of my time to the people who have sacrificed the most.” He went on to recite the names of his family members.
“I feel deeply for the sacrifice that it’s taken him to serve his community,” Gluesenkamp Perez responded. “That does not legitimize the way in which he left his seat and choosing his successor and refusing to be forthright with his constituents.”
García’s congressional career started in a similar way. Days before the deadline to file for the 2018 election, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutiérrez pulled his petition to run for a 14th term and announced his retirement. García announced his interest in running for the seat the next day.
Gutiérrez later endorsed García as his successor. Publications at the time criticized the move, with one calling it “totally abnormal.” García went on to win the primary with 60% of the vote.
What does a rebuke do?
A rebuke, or censure, does not carry a penalty. Instead, it formally condemns a lawmaker’s actions.
It’s the least severe form of punishment in the House, but can still damage a lawmaker’s reputation. Unlike an expulsion, a rebuke does not remove a lawmaker from office or strip them of their committee assignments.
