Ballesteros Writing Sample

This post was published on my personal blog on Feb. 24, 2017, and has
gotten over 300 unique page views.

It Looks Like Chuy Garcia Is Running for

Mayor in 2019
By Carlos Ballesteros
After weeks of speculation, Cook County Commissioner Jesus
Chuy Garcia seems poised for another mayoral run in 2019.

At 2:26 PM, Garcias official Facebook page posted the following:

2 years ago we shook Chicago with your support. Where will you
be in 2 years? The post included a link to a USA Today article
detailing how Garcia forced incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel into
Chicagos first mayoral run-off election in 2015 despite beginning
his campaign three months ahead of Election Day and being
outspent 12-to-1 in the primary.

Garcia could not be reached for comment at this time.

The 2015 run-off election launched Garcia into the national

spotlight. His campaign was celebrated as a victory for working
people in Chicago and was endorsed by major progressive
organizations and figureheads, including Sen. Bernie Sanders.
(Garcia later returned the favor by becoming a campaign
surrogate for Sanders in Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada,
and Arizona.) Garcia ultimately lost to Mayor 1% by 73,609
votes, a small margin considering that Emanuel had the support
of the citys political and economic elite, an endorsement from
President Barack Obama, and a war coffer of more than $23.6
million.

Since the election, Garcia has positioned himself as the

Emanuels worst critic and as a champion of Chicagos
neighborhoods. Todays Facebook post comes four weeks after
Garcia lambasted Emanuel in an interview with the Sun-Times in
which the former community organizer argued that the mayor
wears the jacket for the 60 percent surge in homicides and
shootings for not honoring his promise to hire 1,100 more police
officers. Garcia also criticized Emanuel for enacting $1.2 billion in
tax increases since the election, seemingly covering up the killing
of Laquan McDonald, and for mismanaging Chicago Public
School's resources. Garcia has also used his political clout to
promulgate progressive allies in Chicagos city council and the
Illinois state senate. Most notably, he was a critical component in
establishing the multiracial coalition that elected Theresa Mah in
November, becoming the first Asian American in the Illinois
General Assembly.

In the interview with the Sun-Times, Garcia stated that, if he were

to run again, he would make his announcement sometime this
summer and would seek to raise between $10-$20 million. But
todays Facebook post leaves little room for doubt. By 5:00 PM
CST, hundreds of supporters had liked and shared the post using
the hashtag #Chuy2019.

With the election of Donald Trump, cities across the country have
vowed to defend their citizens amidst the threat of deportation
and persecution from federal agencies and stand in opposition to
the president's agenda. Chicago being the epicenter of the
movement provides a progressive opening for Garcia to oust the
corporate Democratic establishment. An immigrant hailing from
Durango, Mexico, Garcia has routinely criticized President Trumps
proposed policy initiatives. On Inauguration Day he spoke to a
crowd of hundreds protesting at Daley Plaza and was seen
greeting supporters at last weeks Day Without Immigrants march
and rally. In July 2016, Garcia led a protest at a Trump fundraiser
held in Chicago. We do not welcome Donald Trump to
Chicago," he said at the time.We dont welcome him because of
the hateful and divisive rhetoric that he represents. To elect him
president of this country would be disastrous. It would be a
setback for Chicago, and Chicago cannot afford to go back.

Emanuel currently enjoys relatively stable political footing. But

the city's progressive wave is not very fond of the mayor, to say
the least. And as pointed out by John Nichols of The Nation,
Garcias first mayoral run was more successful than Harold
Washingtons, one of Chicagos most prominent progressive
political figures who, in 1983, became the citys first African-
American mayor. A similar fate could await Garcia, who would
become the city's first Hispanic mayor.