CHICAGO (WLS) -- More change in the makeup of the state's congressional delegation is coming.

Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García, who represents Illinois' 4th Congressional District, will not seek reelection in 2026, sources told ABC7 on Monday. His chief of staff submitted her own petitions to run for his seat just moments before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline.

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Patty Garcia, who is not related to the congressman, became his chief of staff in 2023 after serving as his district director since 2019. Now, she is the only choice for the Democratic nomination in the 4th District, a glide path to a seat in Congress in 2026.

The move blocks a full contest for the Democratic nomination. Critics call it a coronation, a hallmark of the old Chicago way to

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