House Democrat accuses fellow Democrat of attempting to ‘anoint an heir’ in surprise floor move

By Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — As the House convened Wednesday to hold a critical vote to end the government shutdown, an outspoken centrist Democrat took aim at a member of her own party, a surprise move that shocked Democrats.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington took to the floor to launch the process of sanctioning her colleague Rep. Chuy García of Illinois for the timing of his decision to retire — which meant that his hand-picked successor was the only person registered to run for his seat.

Gluesenkamp Perez announced on the floor that she intends to force a vote to condemn García for the move, accusing him of “undermining the process of a free and fair election.” She is using special procedural powers — known as privilege — that mean her resolution is likely to get a vote on the floor.

In a statement after her floor speech, Gluesenkamp Perez said García is attempting to “anoint an heir.”

“If we fail to hold our colleagues accountable for this subversion of elections, we own the consequences. Americans bled and died to secure the right to elect their leaders. We can’t expect to be taken seriously in the fight for free and fair elections if we turn a blind eye to election denial on our side of the aisle,” she said.

The move by the Washington Democrat shocked her own party. Multiple members told CNN that their party — including leadership — had no idea it was coming. Some were angry, insisting that Gluesenkamp Perez was going after García at an already fragile moment for the Democratic party, which was splintered over the ending of the 43-day government shutdown.

But some Democrats have also called out García for the timing of his decision not to seek reelection in a way that effectively meant no other candidate could enter the race. That includes Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey — who succeeded former Sen. Bob Menendez, who was forced out of Congress because of a corruption scandal.

“Rep Chuy García’s decision to end his re-election at the last second and plant his chief of staff as the only candidate to succeed him was undemocratic and should not be allowed. Standing against corruption means standing up no matter which political party violates,” Kim posted on X after Gluesenkamp Perez announced her petition on the floor.

García announced on November 4 that he would not run again for his House seat, citing the health of his wife, the death of his daughter in 2023 and his formal adoption of his grandchild just days earlier.

A day earlier, his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, filed petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections to run for the seat that same day, just ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline for filing. But the congressman had already planned not to run, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times. (Patty Garcia has no relation to the congressman.)

The congressman addressed the criticism in an interview with a local Illinois political publication, Capitol Fax, saying “I think I followed the rules.”

As for his decision, García said many in his family were “begging” him not to run again after the adoption of his grandchild and his daughter’s death two years ago.

“Those were just really big factors in me deciding that I could not, in good conscience, do it again, and decided in Washington one of those nights that the only recourse we had was to look at an option. And that’s when I thought that we could try to get my chief, Patty Garcia, on the ballot,” García told Capitol Fax.

Asked by CNN for comment, García’s office referred to a statement in which he said he “followed every rule and every filing requirement laid out by the State of Illinois.”

“Congressman García made a deeply personal decision based on his health, his wife’s worsening condition and his responsibility to the grandchildren he is raising after the death of his daughter,” the statement said.

“At a moment like this, he hopes his colleagues, especially those who speak about family values, can show the same compassion and respect that any family would want during a health crisis.”

And some of his colleagues have defended the congressman.

Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois called García an “an unwavering fighter for our democracy and our communities,” in response to the move to sanction him.

“It is disappointing that someone willing to compromise working families’ healthcare would use this moment for a cheap political stunt aimed at distracting people from an indefensible vote on tonight’s CR,” she said, referring to the fact that Gluesenkamp Perez voted in favor of the bill to reopen the government, which did not include an extension of expiring health care subsidies – a key demand from Democrats in the funding fight.

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