Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia seeks political comeback, to run against Moreno

Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a former independent alderman and state senator, is attempting a political comeback, gathering signatures to run for Cook County Board against Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno.

Garcia was a leader of the independent bloc early in Mayor Daley’s administration, fighting for affordable housing programs, then he was elected to the state senate.

In 1998, Garcia became one of the first casualties of Daley’s Hispanic Democratic Organization, which wanted to replace independent Hispanic elected officials with more loyal ones. Tony Munoz replaced Garcia in the senate.

After getting voted out of office, Garcia went to work for the non-profit Little Village Development Corp, now called Enlace. A month and a half ago, he took a job with Gov. Quinn’s administration working with the Department of Human Services as a senior advisor to the Neighborhood Foreclosure Program, he said.

“I think the community can be much more effectively represented here,” Garcia said.

Moreno is a four-term incumbent and an attorney who twice ran for mayor of Cicero. He said he takes pride during his 15 years in office of his work to hold the line on the county budget and to expand the county’s Jorge Prieto Health Clinic.

Garcia is part of a slate Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) is running to oust Regular Democrats on the Southwest Side. Another is Rudy Lozano, Jr., son of the slain community activist, who is running for state representative. Garcia is godfather to Lozano’s brother.