2023 Mayoral Election Preview: Jesus “Chuy” Garcia
By Manny Meraz
Born in Durango, Mexico, and residing in the Little Village Chicago neighborhood, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is looking to become the first Mexican-American mayor in the history of Chicago.
Garcia is making his second run for Mayor of Chicago in 2023 against incumbent Lori Lightfoot, Paul Vallas, Brandon Johnson, and five other candidates. Several polls have Garcia making the April 4 runoff for a second time because of his stance on important Chicago issues, particularly crime. In the 2015 runoff mayoral election, Garcia had 46 percent of the vote, while Incumbent Rahm Emanuel had 56 percent of the vote to earn his second term as mayor.
This time around Garcia takes the approach of fixing what many considered a broken city in Chicago with the high crime rate, a decreasing number of police officers and overall dissatisfaction with the direction the city is headed. Garcia said he looks to many of these issues with community policing, community programs and more.
“Modernizing (Chicago) Police Department to make it accountable, to ensure community and constitutional policing, and to get the type of police force that is representative of Chicago and where real trust is being built with community residents and police officers in Chicago” said Chuy Garcia at the WBEZ Mayoral Forum at UIC.
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The issue Chuy Garcia talks about in policing in Chicago comes after the major shortage of police officers in the city. More and more Chicago Police Officers are leaving the line of duty. The number of Police Officers is down 12 percent since the day Lightfoot stepped into office in 2019.
Overall Crime in the City of Chicago has risen 163 percent since 2019, the year in which Incumbent Lori Lightfoot stepped into office as Mayor of Chicago. The number of active police officers decreasing over the last few years seems to be part of the reason why crime continues to increase.
“Name a new (Chicago Police Department” Superintendent who is familiar with Chicago” said Garcia at the WBEZ Mayoral Forum at UIC. That is one of the first actions Garcia plans to take if elected as mayor to help solve the issue of policing and crime in Chicago.
Chuy Garcia has raised over 2.38 million dollars since the start of 2022 . Garcia’s biggest donor was the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 political fund, having contributed 1 million dollars.
Garcia has served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Illinois, Illinois Senate, Chicago City Council, and the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
Garcia started his political career early right after graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Garcia started off his political career with the Chicago City Council, then to the Illinois Senate, Cook County Board of Commissioners, and then the U.S House of Representatives.
Garcia has had a successful political career and is now running for Mayor of Chicago in 2023 making it his second campaign after his lone defeat to Rahm Emmanuel back in 2015 where he made it to the runoff election.
Garcia said he vows to change Chicago for the better and doesn’t intend on stopping until he reaches his goal. For more information regarding Chuy Garcia and his campaign feel free to check out his campaign website.
