IL congressman’s retirement announcement sparks calls for election fixes

(TheCenterSquare)–CommonCauseIllinoisisurginglawmakerstoclosewhatitcallsan“anti-democratic”loopholeafterRep.Jesús“Chuy”Garcíaclearedthepathforhischiefofstafftorununopposed. García,D-Chicago,filedforreelectiononOct.27,butminutesbeforetheNov.3deadline,hischiefofstaffenteredtherace.Thecongressmanannouncedhewasgoingtoretirethenextday,anddocumentslatershowedhehadsignedhischiefofstaff’spetitioninadvance,raisingconcernsaboutacoordinatedeffortthatwatchdogssaydeniedvotersarealchoice. “Votersaresickofpoliticalgameplaythatrobsthemoftheirchoices,whetherthatbethroughpartisangerrymanderingor,asappearstohavehappenedhere,coordinationtolimitthepossibilityofadditionalcandidatesrunningforanopenseat,”saidElizabethGrossmanexecutivedirectorofCommonCauseIllinois.“Thisisaformofvotersuppression.” IllinoisGov.J.B.Pritzker,askedaboutthecontroversyduringarecentnewsconference,applaudedGarcía’spublicservicebutacknowle