On Thursday, Illinois Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García announced that he will be challenging Lori Lightfoot for her position as Mayor of Chicago. Garcia is looking to abandon his safe noble position in congress to head the city he cares for.
“Folks know me. … They know what I’ve done. I know we will eventually get their support. I’m the only guy left from the Harold Washington coalition. … No one in Chicago politics today has been involved in fighting the old corrupt and racist and sexist Chicago machine [longer] than myself,” Garcia said.
“Chicago needs a leader with the vision of our future and the know-how and the empathy to get us there together. From crime to unemployment, to affordable housing, there is so much we need to build.”
In Chicago, you know you’re part of something big. We live in the city of broad shoulders. But today, from crime to unemployment to affordable housing, there's uncertainty ahead.
I’m running for Mayor of Chicago because it’s time to build a brighter future – together. pic.twitter.com/hzaWJgsoNK
— Jesús “Chuy” García (@ChuyForCongress) November 10, 2022
Garcia made this empowering speech in front of Navy pear and hundreds of supporters after earning his re-election victory. This forced the Lightfoot camp to respond in a statement soon after his announcement.
“While Mayor Lightfoot is doing the hard work of leading our city through challenging times, career politician Congressman Garcia is prioritizing his own ambitions. Mr. Garcia spent months dithering on whether to get in this race, saying publicly he’d only run if Democrats lost the House,” the statement said.
“Now, a mere 36 hours after voters reelected him to Congress, and as Republicans prepare to use their new slim majority to strip away our rights, Mr. Garcia is abandoning ship.”
Hey @chicagosmayor parking in bike lanes so you can get doughnuts means you value doughnuts over the lives of bicyclists. A RECORD NUMBER OF CYCLISTS HAVE BEEN KILLED DURING YOUR TERM. We need a mayor that leads by example. This ain’t it. pic.twitter.com/U4JpQdzPhw
— Bike Lane Uprising® (@bikelaneuprise) November 9, 2022
With many businesses out the door and Chicago constantly in the news for failed leadership. This challenge to Lightfoot will be a tough one for the Democrat.
“We should be able to look across our skyline and see cranes and new growth as well as equitable development in our neighborhoods, bringing new, good-paying union jobs, new retail and new vitality to our city,” García said.
“I want to see our city grow and thrive. And I want to see our children and grandchildren raise families right here in Chicago, to be able to dream of starting a small business or buying their first home,” he concluded.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on America? Click Here
Follow Raging Americans on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.