CHICAGO (CBS) — Democratic Congressman Luis Gutierrez is retiring after 24 years.
Reports came out late Monday that Representative Luis Gutierrez would not seek reelection, leaving his congressional seat open. CBS 2’s Mike Puccinelli has more on the official announcement.
RELATED: Representative Luis Gutierrez Will Not Run For Reelection
Congressman Gutierrez submitted three times the number of required signatures he needed in order to run for Congress once again. But now he plans to withdraw from the race causing his would be successors to scramble to amass the required signatures before next weeks filing deadline.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez has always had a flair for the dramatic.
He was arrested outside the White House seven years ago while trying to protest deportations. It is that willingness to put himself on the line that lead some to call him the Moses of the Latino community.
“It’s hard to point to another colleague of his who’s done more to keep those issues relevant,” said Anna Gaukel, Chicago.
The issues she is talking about are immigration and Puerto Rico, where Gutierrez has traveled many times in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
North Central College Political Science Professor Stephen Caliendo agrees saying Gutierrez has become one of the Congress’ leading spokesmen on immigration and Hispanic issues.
“These are big shoes to fill,” Caliendo said. “He’s been an important voice for the Spanish-speaking Americans in particular. He does the national circuit quite a bit.”
That’s why word of the 63-year-old’s planned departure came as such a surprise to fourth district constituents.
Gutierrez is a former cab driver and social worker who became an Alderman allied with Mayor Harold Washington during the tumultuous council wars. He then moved from City Hall to the the halls of the U.S Congress where his voice could consistently be heard inside the beltway and beyond.
A voice constituents say they will miss.
“It’s shocking. He’s been in this for a long time now, so it kind of feels like it came out of nowhere, especially at a time with the community really needs him,” said Faysal Alharvi, Chicago.
Gutierrez is expected to endorse Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia on Tuesday as his chosen successor. Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is also planning to run for the seat. He is a former Gutierrez staffer.
Anyone who chooses to run will need to get the required signatures by Dec. 4.
The Gutierrez official announcement is expected at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2AcdEu9
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