Partisan tensions flared unexpectedly on the House floor when one Democrat accused another of breaching the Constitution.
Rep. Marie Grusenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) suddenly stood up during a House vote on an unrelated matter, demanding a censure vote for Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.). This came after Garcia withdrew his re-election bid, prompting his chief of staff to jump into the race.
Grusenkamp Perez read the resolution aloud, a standard procedure to prompt a vote in the House through a “privileged resolution.”
She charged that Garcia filed a nominating petition for the March 2026 Democratic primary. However, on the day of the final filing, November 5, 2025, his chief of staff, Patti Garcia, submitted her own paperwork to enter the race.
Later, on November 6, after the deadline had passed, Rep. Garcia announced he would not run for re-election in 2026, officially withdrawing his nomination. This left only his chief of staff as the Democratic candidate, raising concerns about the fairness of the election process, as noted by Moderate Democrats.
“Mr. Garcia’s actions undermine the dignity of the office and clash with the spirit of the Constitution,” Grusenkamp Perez stated.
She argued that, even if the House passed a disapproval resolution against Garcia’s actions, any resolution introduced by a member other than the leaders of the majority or minority would take immediate precedence.
A “privileged resolution” forces a House vote on a bill within two days of a session. If the resolution isn’t withdrawn, the full House could vote to censure Garcia next week. This incident highlights the growing partisan divide and seemed to catch many lawmakers off guard. Garcia’s immediate response hasn’t been observed.
Patti Garcia, who is not related to Jesús, recently announced her campaign for the House seat.
Initially, Rep. Garcia had filed to run for re-election but later decided against it, citing health reasons and a desire to spend more time with his grandchildren.
