WASHINGTON House lawmakers agreed Tuesday to denounce retiring Illinois Rep. Chuy Garcia over his underhanded scheme to prevent challenges against his hand-picked successor a slippery ploy that sparked a Democratic revolt. In 236-183, the lower chamber adopted a resolution to rebuke Garcia (D-Ill.), 69, for timing his retirement announcement after the filing deadline for primary candidates in his district, a cutoff his chief of staff happened to meet. Twenty-three Democrats backed the resolution to condemn their colleague. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) announced the resolution last week after the House reconvened to reopen the government and slammed her colleague for “election subversion.” “I believe election subversion is wrong no matter who’s doing it, and I think that right now we’re seeing a profound, very loud call from Americans for transparency,” Gluesenkamp Perez, 37, told CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” Monday. “You don’t just turn a blind eye to wrongdoing or unethical behavior when it’s politically convenient,” she added. “It’s not fun to call out a member of your own party, but I think it’s important.” Adding to the plot, Garcia was the first person to sign his aide’s nominating petition, days before he announced his retirement, Politico reported, showing a document filed with Illinois elections officials. Republicans happily agreed to rebuke Garcia, while Democratic leadership scolded Gluesenkamp Perez for daring to call a member of her own party. “I strongly support Congressman Chuy Garcia. He’s been a progressive champion in disenfranchised communities for decades,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters Monday. Allies of Garcia, who was first elected to the House in 2019, quietly revealed to the Chicago press on Nov. 3 that he would not seek reelection for a fifth term in his Illinois 4th Congressional District seat. There happened to be a 5 p. m. deadline that same day for Democratic petitions for his seat and his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, conspicuously managed to turn in the necessary paperwork just before the deadline. The seemingly sneaky move left the retiring rep’s chief of staff the sole Democratic candidate for his heavily blue seat. Before the Tuesday vote, Garcia circulated a letter to his Democratic colleagues underscoring that he is not related to Patty Garcia, despite sharing a last name and blaming his wife’s battle with multiple sclerosis for his last-minute withdrawal. “In the days before the filing deadline, my wife received the news that the MS she has been fighting for several years is getting worse,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, I was told by a cardiologist to take it easy-or else.” “Weighing these difficult health and family circumstances, I decided to retire.” Garcia did not outright deny speculation that he deliberately timed his retirement to benefit his chief of staff in his letter to colleagues obtained by The Post. Democrats unsuccessfully moved to table the resolution denouncing Garcia on Monday, in a bid to stymie a politically dicey vote. Gluesenkamp Perez and retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) both joined with Republicans in killing the effort to table consideration of the resolution to denounce Garcia. Numerous Democrats, such as Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), publicly spoke in defense of Garcia. It is rare for the House to denounce one of its own members, particularly with support from that lawmaker’s own party. Back in March, the GOP-led House formally censured Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for disrupting President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Other lawmakers to face a formal rebuke include then-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and former Long Island lying Rep. George Santos.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/18/us-news/house-votes-to-denounce-rep-chuy-garcia-for-election-subversion-after-dem-civil-war/
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Democrat Strategist Admits Crockett Running for Senate Is ‘Dream Scenario’ for GOP [WATCH]
NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza cautioned Thursday that if Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett runs for U.S. Senate in 2026, it could significantly increase Republicans’ chances of keeping the seat.
During a segment on his YouTube channel, Cillizza analyzed Crockett’s comments from her appearance a day earlier on SiriusXM’s “The Lurie Daniel Favors Show,” where she said she is considering launching a campaign for the Senate.
“The problem is it’s very difficult for me to see how Crockett would reach out to the middle, particularly in a state like Texas where there just are not enough Democrats. Even if you get all the Democrats to vote for you, you don’t win,” Cillizza said.
“So I think this would be a dream scenario for Republicans. Because I think Ken Paxton has a real chance at winning the primary against John Cornyn and Wesley Hunt. And if he does, the best chance Republicans have of keeping that seat is Jasmine Crockett as the Democratic nominee.”
Cillizza continued by suggesting that other Democratic contenders would be more competitive in a statewide general election.
“To me, there’s no question that either Colin Allred or James Talarico, or honestly maybe even Beto O’Rourke, would be a stronger general election candidate against Paxton or Cornyn or Hunt than Jasmine Crockett,” he said.
He also speculated that Crockett might ultimately decide not to run, saying that her public consideration of a campaign could serve as a fundraising strategy.
“But the possibility will make Democrats nationally nervous,” Cillizza said. “I do not think that is the right nominee. And what’s worse for national Democrats, I think it’s very hard to stop Jasmine Crockett [from] winning the Democratic nomination if she does run for the Senate.”
Crockett, however, expressed confidence in her chances during her SiriusXM interview, citing internal and public polling showing her ahead of other potential Democratic candidates.
She currently leads a hypothetical Democratic primary field with 31% support among likely voters, according to an October University of Houston-Texas Southern University poll. State Rep. James Talarico and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke each garnered 25% in the same poll, while former Rep. Colin Allred, who ran unsuccessfully against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, received 13%.
O’Rourke has not yet announced whether he will enter the 2026 race, though he has indicated that he would consider supporting Crockett if she decides to run.
“I think the key to winning Texas isn’t about looking at the current electorate. It’s about expanding the electorate,” Crockett said. “If we can expand the electorate, then I will strongly be considering hopping in the Senate race.”
Crockett has gained national attention for her combative exchanges with Republican lawmakers and controversial remarks. In March, she drew backlash after referring to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “Governor Hot Wheels.”
Cillizza’s assessment adds to growing speculation over how the Democratic field will shape up in Texas, where Republicans have maintained control of every statewide office for more than two decades.
The seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn is up for re-election in 2026, and Attorney General Ken Paxton has indicated he is considering entering the GOP primary.
While Crockett’s potential candidacy has energized some Democratic activists, party strategists remain divided on whether her style and political profile can appeal to the moderate and independent voters needed to win a statewide race in Texas.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/10/democrat-strategist-admits-crockett-running-for-senate-is-dream-scenario-for-gop-watch/