CHICAGO (AP) — The surprise news that longtime immigrant rights advocate U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez won’t seek re-election after 25 years in office triggered a burst of activity in his Chicago-area district.
Candidates in the March primary all vow to continue his work. They are Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, police officer Richard Gonzalez and community activist Sol Flores.
They’re walking a fine line on the campaign trail, trying to stand out in the race for Illinois‘ only open congressional seat while taking pains not to criticize the popular congressman.
Gutierrez has endorsed Garcia, who leads in name recognition from a 2015 mayoral bid. But the other candidates say they’ll be competitive and focus on wide-ranging issues in the district that is largely Hispanic.
