The House, in a rare bipartisan action, voted Tuesday to rebuke a Democrat who maneuvered the timing of his retirement to all but assure his handpicked successor would win his seat without opposition.
The vote of formal disapproval of Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Illinois) was remarkable because it was instigated by a fellow Democrat, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Washington). All Republicans and 23 Democrats supported the measure.
The reprimand carries no formal penalty other than the damage to Garcia’s reputation, which a majority of Democrats sought to defend.
García announced his retirement this month, one day after the Illinois filing deadline for candidates closed. García’s chief of staff, Patty Garcia — who is not related — was the only candidate who knew about the retirement with enough time to collect 2,500 signatures to run for the seat. The resolution, drafted by Gluesenkamp Perez, says the chain of events was “undermining the process of a free and fair election.”
García, 69, said he retired abruptly because of his wife’s declining health and the growing responsibility to take care of his grandchildren after the death of his daughter in 2023. He rejected claims of wrongdoing, saying he “followed the rules of Illinois and its election law.”
Illinois requires candidates who run as Democrats or Republicans to file their candidacy for the 2026 midterm elections after notching 2,500 signatures from constituents in the district by the Nov. 3 deadline. Gluesenkamp Perez alleged García helped collect signatures for his chief of staff to have her in place by the time he announced his retirement Nov. 4, an allegation he denies.
Republicans were eager for an opportunity to lambaste a Democrat on a day that the chamber was otherwise consumed by the debate over releasing documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has caused internal Republican Party rifts. Several GOP lawmakers walked up to Gluesenkamp Perez to shake her hand after House Republicans voted on a procedural measure that allowed the rebuke to advance Monday night.
The vote comes as the Democratic Party grapples with generational change and a willingness from a new class of younger lawmakers to question the status quo of Washington. In a change from prior rebellions when liberals led the charge, this one involved centrist lawmakers, who said voters are frustrated with politicians prioritizing their self interests.
A majority of Democrats have come to García’s defense, framing the division as an unnecessary debate that tarnishes the reputation of a trailblazing Latino liberal who has served Illinois for 40 years, including six years in the House. In a statement, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts) and Pete Aguilar (D-California) said they “unequivocally oppose this misguided resolution and urge our colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus to reject it.”
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus — which includes Gluesenkamp Perez — also came to García’s defense last week.
Gluesenkamp Perez is a moderate who represents a swing district President Donald Trump has won each time he has run for president. She has been eager to push the party toward generational change, a debate that heated up in the wake of Joe Biden’s presidency and withdrawal from the 2024 election. This summer, Gluesenkamp Perez, 37, sponsored a measure that would make lawmakers undergo a cognitive test to determine whether they are fit to serve. It was not adopted.
She introduced the condemnation of García last week, arguing that her party could not criticize Trump for degrading democracy if it did not critique García for what she characterized as denying his constituents an opportunity to choose his successor.
“It’s clear to me that my responsibility as an elected representative of my community is to say loudly and consistently, humbly and with love, that no one has the right to subvert the right of the people to choose their elected representatives,” she said on the House floor Monday. “We are not here to adjudicate the character of Chuy García. I’m asking the body to consider a set of facts.”
The argument was enough to convince 23 Democrats, many of them moderates who represent swing districts, to denounce García’s actions.
“I feel so strongly that voters have to decide elections, not politicians, and we’re seeing this play out,” said Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), who voted in favor of rebuke. “This kind of behavior where politicians are having too much influence over what happens … it just is wrong.”
Most Democrats disagreed, framing the debate around García’s legacy rather than his recent action.
But it was an unusual debate in the modern House, which normally pits Republicans against Democrats. This time, Gluesenkamp Perez faced off against some of her most liberal colleagues. She was heckled and jeered at as she began her remarks Monday night by stating that she came to debate with “humility” and “conviction.” “Really,” a Democrat loudly questioned before other Democratic lawmakers began to boo her.
After Tuesday’s vote, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) posted on social media that while she loathes “machine politics,” the way Gluesenkamp Perez chose to address the matter was reckless.
García’s actions have also resonated back home. Mayra Macias, former executive director at the Latino Victory Project and former Democratic adviser to Biden’s policy agenda, is expected to announce a long-shot independent bid for the seat. To get on the ballot as an independent, she would need to collect 11,000 signatures by May. “While he’s been a progressive champion for our community, I believe voters deserve a choice in who succeeds him,” she posted in a social media statement.
Official condemnations of lawmakers were once rare. But they have become more common in recent years, usually involving the majority party admonishing a member of the minority, as comity has broken down.
Punishments range from a reprimand to expulsion, depending on the action. When House Democrats were in the majority earlier this decade, they voted to censure several lawmakers and remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) from her committee assignments.
When House Republicans took the majority in 2023, they similarly retaliated by targeting several Democrats. On Tuesday, Republicans initiated votes to censure and remove Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) from the House Intelligence Committee after reports that she was texting Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing.
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