Four candidates are running in the general election to represent Illinois' 4th Congressional District on Nov. 3. Patty Garcia (D) and Chris Getty, a Democrat running as an independent, lead in media attention, fundraising, and endorsements. Incumbent Jesus Garcia (D) is not running for re-election.
Central to the election are claims that Jesus Garcia attempted to handpick his chief of staff, Patty Garcia (no relation), to be his successor. In November 2025, Jesus Garcia announced after the Democratic primary filing deadline that he would not run for re-election because of health and family issues. Patty Garcia was the only other candidate to file for the primary. The Chicago Tribune reported that Jesus Garcia's staff helped Patty Garcia collect the required 697 signatures needed to make the primary ballot.
Democrats Getty, Mayra Macías, and Byron Sigcho-Lopez all criticized the way in which Jesus Garcia withdrew from the primary to allegedly help Patty Garcia win election, claiming it was undemocratic. As they missed the Democratic filing deadline, the three filed as independents, with state law requiring each to secure at least 10,816 signatures to make the general election ballot. A senior staffer for Jesus Garcia and at least two of Patty Garcia's signature gatherers challenged the validity of Macías and Sigcho-Lopez's signatures. On July 21, 2026, the Illinois State Board of Elections said Macías and Sigcho-Lopez did not gather enough valid signatures to make the ballot. Sigcho-Lopez said he would challenge the ruling in court.
Patty Garcia and Getty are running campaigns centered on affordability and immigration. Cook County Chronicle's Igor Studenkov writes, "Patty Garcia had followed in [Jesus Garcia's progressive] footsteps. ... Getty staked out a more moderate lane, notably being the only candidate who said he wanted to reform rather than abolish ICE, and the only candidate who declined to describe Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide."
Patty Garcia is Jesus Garcia's former chief of staff. Garcia's campaign website says, "While others offer talking points, Patty has delivered solutions rooted in lived experience—working across lines, confronting power when necessary, and producing results that people can actually feel in their daily lives. That’s the kind of leadership she’ll bring to Congress."
Getty is a licensed insurance producer, mayor of Lyons, Illinois, and town supervisor of Lyons Township. Getty's campaign website says, "In Congress, Chris will restore trust in government, protect the integrity of our elections, and defend the democratic values that make our country strong."
As of July 30, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the district Solid/Safe Democratic.
Lupe Castillo (R) and Ed Hershey (Working Class Party) are also running in the election.
This is one of 58 races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 22 Democrats and 36 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts are up for election.
Currently, Republicans have a 219-212 majority with four vacancies in the chamber. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.
