From a subscriber who is at the meeting this morning…
US Rep. Luis Gutierrez just announced, at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, that he has reversed his prior retirement plans, and will indeed run for re-election to represent Illinois’s 4th Congressional District.
This is hardly a surprise. I’ve suspected it for months, as have many others. And Mark Brown wrote about the possibility earlier this week…
A letter imploring Rep. Luis Gutierrez to stay in Congress — signed by 10 elected officials from his district including one of his would-be successors — has provided the strongest sign yet that the eight-term House member is rethinking his decision to retire from office.
In fact, I’d say it’s now likely Gutierrez will run for re-election, although I couldn’t wheedle an admission out of him.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Gutierrez told me Friday. The letter “has had an impact. We’re thinking about it.”
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** From the AP…
Congressman Luis Gutierrez says he’s changed his mind and he will seek another term in Washington.
The Chicago Democrat had said he wasn’t going to run, partly to spend more time with his wife, who had been having health problems.
But during a morning appearance in Chicago, Gutierrez said she’s better and he wants to run again because he still has work to do on immigration reform.
Gutierrez says a letter from community groups and other elected officials urging him to run helped change his mind.
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- VanillaMan - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 9:53 am:
You just can buy press like this. When you run for office, always try to get leaders to beg you to run, and get it in writing.
Ever since the days of Washington, it is political manna to get people to beg you to be their ruler.
- kathryn - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:13 am:
“A letter imploring Rep. Luis Gutierrez to stay in Congress — signed by 10 elected officials from his district including one of his would-be successors — has provided the strongest sign yet that the eight-term House member is rethinking his decision to retire from office.”
The “would-be successor”…who is that?
- Garp - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:15 am:
Oh thank heaven-what would the Congress have done without him.
- Reality Check - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:17 am:
Too bad for Manny Flores. The start of a new generation of polished, young, smart, educated, successful hispanic politicians on the national level will have to wait two more years. Manny is going to be a huge star on the national level. Clear the launching pad and let him take off!
- jaundiced eye - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:19 am:
There’s more than one “would-be successor” … Maldonado and Flores haven’t been shy about their interest and there may be others.
- South Sider - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:22 am:
Garp, I’m with you. LOL.
Reality Check — Don’t get ahead of yourself. Manny has done absolutely nothing to distinguish himself from the other 49 yes-men and a majority of the voters in the 4th COngressional don’t know who he is.
Let’s keep the crown in safe storage for a few more years, eh?
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:23 am:
How many Latinos are elected county wide in Cook County?
Maybe one of these ambitious Latino pols should run for Recorder of Deeds?
It would be easy to portray incumbent Eugene Moore and challenger Karen Yarbrough as trying to make a local squabble in Maywood into a county wide issue when it’s really not.
While Moore hasn’t converted the office into much, the two previous Recorders used the office as a platform to go statewide for relatively plum positions: Jesse White became Secretary of State and Carol Moseley Braun became U.S. Senator.
Recorder of Deeds isn’t a bad place to clock time while Gutierrez gets his affairs in order and sets himself up with whatever real estate business he aspires to do after his Congressional career.
- Left Leaner - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:24 am:
I echo Reality Check, but I saw this coming. Could you really see Gutierrez retiring now? Immigration reform is a huge issue in DC and throughout the country right now. This is Gutierrez’s issue and meaningful progress on immigration reform is not going to be made under our current President.
He wants to stay and fight. Can you blame him?
- bored now - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:28 am:
ricky munoz, iirc
- Jerry - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 10:39 am:
He shouldn’t have changed his mind. These candidates have been out there raising money to run for Congress on the belief that Guitierrez was retiring. How does someone like Flores back out of running after raising nearly a half-million dollars? Don’t get me wrong, I like Luis. He’s my congressman. He could be better, but he’s not bad, either.
But jerking people around like this is pretty dumb. I’m not voting for him in the primary. Don’t announce your retirement and then change your mind.
- Captain America - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:04 am:
Retirement at this juncture made no sense. I hope he serves a full term. I’d rather have the voters choose his successor rather than having Mayor Daly annointing someone.
Personally I would have supported Flores, but I respect Munoz too. Maldanado is an ‘also ran” as best I could tell. I assume Solis would be formidable too.
I attended a Democracy for America meeeting in Edgewater last week where Maldonado, Munoz, and Flores made their bids for an endorsement and support. This particular Northside DFA chapter seems like a functional version of the IVI-IPO - like the IVI-IPO must have been 30 years ago,
- Ho hum - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:29 am:
A few things:
The letter was orchestrated.
Everybody has known that Luis was going to run.
If Flores had the cojones, he would take his 500K and run - he won’t.
Yarbrough is not going to run for Recorder.
A qualified Latino would be a logical choice for the office.
All in all, once again, a lot of sizzle, no real steak.
- pjs - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 11:36 am:
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Gutierrez told me Friday. The letter “has had an impact. We’re thinking about it.”
Ho Hum - you are right, the letter was orchestrated, Luis begged THEM to write it!
I wouldn’t count Manny out of the race yet. Word is, he’s still seriousely considering it and may give Luis a run for his money. Of course with the endorsements of John Daley and others, Luis will be hard to beat.
- Just Observing - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 12:05 pm:
1. Yes, the letter is highly orchestrated — I can’t imagine these elected officials actually care who the Congressperson is except when it comes to power-sharing;
2. South Sider is 110% correct — Flores has done nothing to distinguish himself from the rest except for self-appointing himself a reformer and independent;
3. I’m not convinced Luis still doesn’t have something up his sleeve.
- Rob_N - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 12:40 pm:
Maybe now Cong. Gutierrez will get to work on all those back dues he keeps neglecting to find for the DCCC… Esp. in light of the fact his would-be opponents in the primary are magically finding that plenty of folks from the 4th are happy to donate.
- ChicagoDem - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 1:07 pm:
Cong. Gutierrez should step aside. It’s time for new leadership. All declared candidates should go ahead and take him on. “Just Observing” may be on to something. There’s a reason why the Congressman had not committed to run, and now after “letters of encouragement” he’s rethinking his retirement??? What has he accomplished anyway. Yes, he has pushed for immigration reform,….but so have many, many others. I still do not understand how a guy who backed terrorists in the past can get elected to to the U.S. Congress! His opponents should remind people of this fact!
- Tradeunionist - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 1:12 pm:
Nyberg is totally nuts to suggest a latino run for a seat historically owned by blacks.
Run Karen Run Recorder of Deeds is yours for the taking
- The Letter - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 1:50 pm:
AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ
Dear Congressman Gutierrez, (Luis)
We’ll get to the point quickly – please don’t retire from Congress just yet, there’s work still to do.
Retirement can’t be easy and we know this probably won’t make it any easier, but then again easy has never been your style. You’re a fighter, Luis, it’s what you’ve done, it’s who you are. Whether it was standing with the late Mayor Harold Washington to help bring Chicago out of the stalemate of the Council Wars, or fighting to naturalize hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens, or standing up for the people of Vieques you’re a fighter. And today, the people you fight for, those who often can’t make their voices heard on their own, need you to stay in the fight and bring home a victory — and bring home the hope of the American Dream.
As you’ve learned while in the struggle to help pass comprehensive immigration reform in Congress, this isn’t just about Illinois’ 4th Congressional District. In fact, any and all of the leaders who have expressed interest in succeeding you in Congress would represent your district well. But the work that lies ahead requires your brand of leadership and passion.
The people of our great country need you to fight for them; the people of the 4th Congressional District need you to fight for them, here at home, in the halls of Congress and in communities across the country.
And since fights like these are never fought alone, we’re here to lend our voice, our help and our support. But we need you to stay. We need you to fight. We need you, Luis, in Congress.
Respectfully,
The Honorable Commissioner Joe Berrios, 31st Ward Democratic Organization
The Honorable State Representative Maria Antonia ‘Toni’ Berrios
The Honorable State Representative Dan Burke, 23rd District
The Honorable Alderman Edward Burke, 14th Ward – City of Chicago
The Honorable Alderman Tony Figueroa, Waukegan City Council
The Honorable Alderman Billy Ocasio, 26th Ward – City of Chicago
The Honorable Alderman Richard Mell, 32nd Ward – City of Chicago
The Honorable Alderman Ricardo Munoz, 22nd Ward – City of Chicago
The Honorable Alderman Ariel Reboyras, 30th Ward – City of Chicago
The Honorable Alderman Danny Solis, 25th Ward – City of Chicago
The Honorable Alderman Ray Suarez, 31st Ward – City of Chicago
Elvira Arrellano, President – Familia Latina Unida
Freddy Calixto, Executive Director - BUILD
Ruben Castellan, Executive Director – Gads Hill Center
Omar Duque, President & CEO – Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Judy Fried, Executive Director – NICASA
Empe Guerra, Program Director – NICASA
Rory Guerra, Director – The Saints of Humboldt Park
Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director – Illinois Coalition of Immigrant & Refugee Rights
Marco Jacome, Executive Director – HAS
Emma Lozano, President – Pueblo Sin Fronteras
Eliud Medina, Executive Director – Near Northwest Neighborhood Network
Stewart Munoz, President – Cuban American Chamber of Commerce
Maria Ploch, Executive Director – Latinos En Accion
Anita Rico, Director – Zocalo Urbano
Juan Salgado, Executive Director – Instituto del Progreso Latino
Mary Santana, Executive Director – The Miracle Center
Gina Zuniga-Baldwin, Executive Director – Youth Service Project
- jason - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 4:14 pm:
Run Manny!!!
Now that the immigration debate has fizzled, its time for a fresh face to bring some new ideas to the table.
Congressman Gutierrez is a one issue candidate, plain and simple. Alderman Flores could take on immigration and a whole other host of issues that the congressman has for all intents and purposes, neglected.
GO FOR IT MANNY.
- huh? - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 4:23 pm:
if manny runs it would be political suicide. He knows that. Question is will his ego get the better of him and stay in the race? I hear there is an opening at the Cook County State’s Atty office.
- Scheduler - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 5:41 pm:
I wonder what the future holds for Toni Berrios.
- Fun(d)-Raiser - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 5:50 pm:
What does Rep. Susana Mendoza think of all this?
- Inside Cook - Thursday, Aug 16, 07 @ 8:21 pm:
Manny Flores should not run against Luis, instead he should cut a deal and run for State’s Attorney for Cook County,replacing Dick Devine!
Democrats should organize and since a white’s amyor and a black is cook county board president and latino should then become state attorney!
No fights between democrats, and blacks,whites or latinos!
- P - Friday, Aug 17, 07 @ 6:41 pm:
Yeah, Manny did distinguish himself from the rest of the city council, he raised $500,000 in three months for his campaign. This in a district where Luis said he struggled to raise money. He further distinguished himself from the field, and Luis, by talking about issues other than immigration.
The “letter”? That’s a good one. You could probably find the original text of it on Luis’ home computer.
- A different view - Monday, Aug 20, 07 @ 2:54 pm:
Gutierrez’s decision has averted a political bloodbath among the Latino community. The truce which has existed for about 4-5 years now would have shattered as each side lined up against the others.
I’m not saying LVG’s motives were altruistic, but he sure has saved alot of us “operatives” a lot of headaches.