There are various reasons that a politician might suddenly leave public office. A health problem tops the list. And maybe that's what Congressman Gutiérrez has. But considering the storm of sexual harassment settlements about to be unleashed, and Al Green's recent attempt to get ahead of the story, it's hard not to leap to conclusions.
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) a leading national voice on immigration reform, will not seek reelection, three Democratic sources with knowledge of the decision told POLITICO.
Gutierrez, who has held his seat since 1993, is expected to announce Tuesday afternoon he's withdrawing the nominating petitions he just filed on Monday and will formally endorse Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.
Garcia, a Cook County commissioner, had forced Mayor Rahm Emanuel into a runoff election in 2015. His bid for Gutierrez's seat means Garcia will not challenge Emanuel again in 2019 as he had previously planned, sources tell POLITICO. With petition filing open on Monday, candidates for Gutierrez's open seat will have to turn in nearly 7,000 signatures in less than a week.
Gutiérrez's spokesman, Douglas Rivlin said he couldn't comment.
"I don't know anything. I don't know anything," he said late Monday.
Fascinating.
Garcia is a lefty dreamboat. I'm sure that Emanuel wants him off his back. But there were easier ways to make that happen.
Luis Gutiérrez, like Conyers, was in a safe district and could have easily sat there forever. There's no obvious reason for him to leave. But the reason may become obvious. Meanwhile a radical leftist has been handed a congressional seat. So it's business as usual in the most corrupt place in America.
Garcia is a Sandernista. So the Socialists get another member of the House. And, oh yes, Garcia, like all good Sandernistas, hates Israel.