Don't Let Voters Lose Their Choice in Illinois' 4th District
I can’t stomach what’s happening in the Illinois' 4th Congressional District and you should know about it before it’s too late to do anything about it.
Right now, Patty Garcia, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s chief of staff and hand-picked successor (no relation), is trying to keep her strongest opponents off the ballot.
Mayra Macias and Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez are fighting to get on the ballot in Illinois' 4th Congressional District as independents.
Mayra submitted nearly 20,000 signatures to get on the ballot.
Byron submitted 17,000.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Patty submitted 2,500 signatures to become the Democratic nominee. The Tribune put that number closer to 697.
She already has the advantage and yet guess what she’s doing?
Challenging Mayra and Byron’s signatures—her strongest opponents—to keep them off the ballot.
Challenging signatures is one of the oldest power plays in politics. It's not about winning votes. It's about stopping opponents from reaching voters in the first place. The Chicago Tribune described Illinois' ballot-access system this way:
Veteran political insiders use complicated election rules and teams of attorneys to block challengers before a single vote is cast. The result? Political power brokers can influence who voters get to choose from before Election Day even arrives.
Here's the part that affects everyone. According to the Tribune, these challenges cost taxpayers money. Election agencies have to hold hearings. They often hire hearing officers, court reporters, and handwriting experts. Taxpayers foot the bill. You know who will end up paying for this? YOU! Slash the people Patty says she’s fighting for.
Voters, not procedural challenges, should determine who is most qualified to represent them in Congress. It seems like a real travesty to deny voters the opportunity to decide for themselves and only serves to create voter apathy.
And while this challenge moves forward, Mayra is doing everything she can to save her ballot access including having her dad canvass for her on Father’s Day while he should be at home resting and celebrating.
Byron is short 1,222 signatures. According to the Tribune he was given three days, starting Monday, to gather affidavits and other evidence to prove these contested signatures are valid in order to be on the ballot.
Still, this might not be enough.
But we can do something about it. Call on Patty to pull her challenges by Wednesday, June 24 to ensure voters have a choice.
What message does it send in a predominantly Latino district when candidates trying to participate in democracy face every possible roadblock? I got into politics late in the game because I come from a Mexican immigrant family who felt the game was rigged and it wasn’t safe to participate. These kind of dirty political tactics is what they warned me against but guess what?!? I grew up an American and believe change is possible.
Patty Garcia already has the advantage of being the Democratic nominee. Keeping challengers off the ballot isn't a campaign. It's a gatekeeping strategy.
I spoke with Mayra today. She told me: "I’m frustrated because Patty just won't give me the chance to compete."
I met Mayra and Patty both while working on the Biden campaign. I’ve interviewed Alderman Byron. I was so excited to see these three smart and capable Latinos go head-to-head. Especially because I know Latinos in politics is a rarity. It’s so disappointing to see this crab-in-a-barrel mentality come out the Patty/Chuy camp.
I’m not on payroll with anyone but I have come out publicly in support of Mayra so I will not be doing any stories on the race but that doesn’t mean I can’t use my voice to speak up on this injustice and because if I was still living in the district, Mayra is who I would vote for.
I profiled Mayra for Hispanic Executive in 2023. She’s in politics for the right reasons.
This is Mayra and Byron’s American dream. Let’s give it all we got to give them a fair shot. Call on Patty to drop her challenges and let the voters decide. The letter I sent to her and her team is posted below if you need any inspo. Email campaign@pattyforillinois.com.
Thank you for paying attention.
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Subject Line: A Request for a Fair Race
Hi Patty,
I hope you’re well. Reaching out to respectfully urge you/your allies to withdraw your challenges against Mayra Macias and Byron Sigcho-Lopez and allow the election to be decided by the people of the 4th Congressional District.
When I was reporting on the 3rd Congressional District race in 2022 for Chicago Mag, I never forgot a stat that has stuck with me. Here’s the direct quote: “Latinos in elected office are a rarity nationally (A 2018 study by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials found Latinos make up only 1 percent of such positions). That is less the case in Chicago, but seeing two Latino leaders go head to head is a rare opportunity to witness the depth of the Latino diaspora.”
It’s pretty disappointing to see someone who calls themselves a fighter for working class families throw all their power and might in ensuring your strongest challengers—who also happen to be Latino—don’t make it on the ballot. It’s particularly troublesome given the nature of how you secured the nomination.
My roots in the district you’re running for span 30+ years. For one election cycle in my 20s, I even walked 20 minutes from my job to Union station, took the 45 Metra ride to Brookfield, walked an additional 10 minutes to my voting site—then immediately did the reverse commute back for night class. I never missed a chance to vote but something like this might have killed my belief in the system.
Imagine how much more exciting and dynamic the race can be to see three capable and qualified Latinos go head-to-head. As someone close to your leadership team told me “you three share similar politics,” so it really boils down to character.
What kind of message do you hope to send to people, specifically the Latinos in your district, who aspire to bring change to their community when you have made it very clear you are willing to throw up every possible roadblock to defeat dissent?
Voters, not procedural challenges, should determine who is most qualified to represent them in Congress. It seems like a real travesty to deny voters the opportunity to decide for themselves and only serves to create voter apathy.
For these reasons, I hope you’ll reconsider your actions. If you're confident that you're the best person for the job, then please drop your challenges against Mayra Macias and Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez and allow democracy to work as intended: by letting voters decide.
Thank you for your consideration.
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