Our Chicago: 4th District Congressional Race Primary
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two Democratic candidates are up for Illinois' fourth congressional district, which stretches across Chicago's Southwest Side and into the western suburbs.
Incumbent is Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García is being challenged in next month's primary by Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez.
Raymond Lopez - 4th congressional district candidate
In 2012, he was elected to serve as Democratic Ward Committeeman, making him the first openly gay Latino elected to any office in Illinois. In 2015, he was elected to serve the city's 15th Ward.
Lopez grew up on Chicago's Southwest Side, he said it's time to elect someone who "fights and provides results with common-sense solutions."
He also commented on immigration reform.
"I think we have to include some of the things that we hear often talked about, like securing our border," Lopez said. "Making sure we have a functional front door as opposed to have to always work with the workarounds like asylum and other things."
He added he wants to focus on DACA recipients, who he said have been forgotten about.
When it comes to U.S. aid to Ukraine, Lopez said he agrees with helping allies abroad.
"To insure that we are propping up our friends who are fighting the wars that otherwise, our own sons and daughters would have to go fight," Lopez said. "We know that we have enemies throughout the world who would love to engage us directly. Israel and Ukraine, they are fighting our fights for us in proxy wars throughout the world and we need to stand with them in this moment."
Jesús "Chuy" García - 4th congressional district incumbent
Incumbent García was elected to represent the fourth district in 2018.
Before being a congressman, he served as a Cook County Commissioner, Illinois State Senator and Chicago Alderman.
García was born in Mexico, he moved to Chicago when he was 10-years-old.
The congressman also commented on the country's immigration system.
"Immigration is tricky, the system is broken," he said. "We need to fix it. But the Senate version just didn't go enough because it didn't, for example, offer a pathway to legalization for even the 'Dreamers,' young people with DACA status. Others who need it as well."
As for aid to Ukraine and Israel, although he has supported funding, he is considering restrictions.
"I do want some restrictions in terms of the funding for the Middle East," García said. "I want there to be humanitarian aid to Gaza to Israel to other countries as well. But we need to know the specifics. This is very, very important. We cannot continue to allow the most extreme government in Israel's modern history to continue devastating Gaza, killing over 30,000 people without any restraints."
