Chuy García weighing run for Chicago mayor

Rep. Jesus “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) on Wednesday signaled that he is considering a second run for mayor of Chicago.

At a press conference on Wednesday, García would not say when he will decide on the potential mayoral run, but did admit “I’ve got to decide soon.”

“I don’t want to pressure myself. I want to be as deliberate and as understanding of all of the issues that are facing the city of Chicago. The public safety challenges, the promise of new endeavors in the area of public safety is pretty exciting, given my background in violence prevention, and intervention, and community building,” he said, according to multiple outlets.

If García jumped in the race he would be challenging sitting Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) for the post. The incumbent, who was elected to the mayorship in 2019 and became the first openly LGBT Black woman to be elected mayor of Chicago, is running for a second term. Her first years in office focused in part on the COVID-19 pandemic and crime in the city.

A number of candidates have already jumped into the race, including Alds. Sophia King, Roderick Sawyer and Raymond Lopez, in addition to former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and state Rep. Kam Buckner (D).

The election is set to take place in 2023.

García said he is “conflicted” on the decision in Chicago because of the significant number of Republican congressional candidates who have expressed support for former President Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

He also called his job in Washington “exhilarating.”

“I am conflicted, because of the responsibility that I have to help save and protect our democracy and our republic,” the congressman said.

“My great desire to be a member of Congress when immigration reform finally becomes a reality makes it so difficult” to consider departing, he added.

García, who represents Illinois’s 4th Congressional District, first entered Congress in 2019 after losing the 2015 election to be mayor of Chicago.

García lost to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel after a runoff race.

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