Chuy García (IL-4)

Biography

Jesús G. "Chuy" García is a Democratic U.S. Representative for Illinois's 4th Congressional District, sworn into office on January 3, 2019. Born April 12, 1956, in Mexico, he immigrated to Chicago at age 9, settling in Pilsen and later Little Village, where he has lived for over 50 years. A progressive leader, he advocates for workers' rights, immigrants, affordable housing, education, and criminal justice reform, and is the first Mexican-American elected to Congress from the Midwest. Notable achievements include forcing Chicago's 2015 mayoral election into a runoff, founding the Future of Transportation Caucus, and serving as Deputy Whip and FAA Task Force Chair in the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He holds committee roles on Transportation and Infrastructure and House Judiciary, and caucus memberships in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Equality Caucus, Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, and New Americans Caucus.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Attended the University of Illinois at Chicago , where he began organizing for workers' rights and inclusive city services; later served as an adjunct professor in Political Science and Latino/Latin American Studies.
• Political Experience:
  • U.S. House : 2019–present .
  • Cook County Board of Commissioners : 2011–2019; chaired Business and Economic Development and Criminal Justice Committees; led ban on discriminatory landlord practices against housing voucher users.
  • Illinois State Senate : Passed the 1993 Language Assistance Services Act for limited-English and deaf patients.
  • Chicago City Council and Cook County Democratic Party Committeeman: Elected 1984; built coalitions between Latino and African American communities.
  • Other roles: Chicago mayoral candidate ; Deputy Water Commissioner ; founder/executive director of Little Village Community Development Corporation and Latino Action Research Network .