Rate the new Byron Sigcho Lopez digital ad
Thursday, Jul 2, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Democratic Socialist Byron Sigcho Lopez, who is hoping to secure a ballot spot to run for Congress as an independent, has a new digital ad…
* Script…
News footage #1 VO (featuring b-roll of Rod Blagojevich): As the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted of attempted extortion, bribery, conspiracy and fraud.
News footage #2 VO (featuring b-roll of Rod Blagojevich): The most striking charge was that Blagojevich tried to enrich himself by selling or swapping President Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat.
News footage #2 VO: Garcia is Congressman García’s handpicked successor.
NBC reporter: García originally filed petitions to run for reelection and then at the last minute told only his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, he was not going to run.
WGN reporter: Casual political observers have not even heard of her. She is the woman Congressman Chuy García has anointed his successor.
NBC reporter: Handpicking your successor is wrong.
Rod Blagojevich: I mean I’ve got this thing and it’s [bleep]ing golden.
Closing text: Same machine, new operator. Help Byron protect fair elections & get on the ballot. Donate today.
Discuss.
- Pirlo - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 12:21 pm:
Ive never seen a candidate who is not making the ballot spend money on ads. Maybe im wrong
- Lakeview Lawyer - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 12:40 pm:
Maybe if he had put as much energy into collecting signatures as he is on his media tour, he would have made the ballot.
- Remember the Alamo II - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 1:02 pm:
I rate the ad an “F”
He is trying to say that Patty Garcia is involved in the same kind of crooked activity as Rod Blagojevich, and that is wrong.
We wonder why the electorate has such a negative opinion of elected officials and candidates. They are made out to be criminals by their opponents. That is the case here even though Ms. Garcia followed the law and all applicable rules.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez is a joke.
- Bears Fan - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 1:03 pm:
Chuy’s crew must have great relationships with the DSA types because I am not hearing much uproar about Byron not making the ballot from anyone but Byron himself
- Leslie K - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 1:16 pm:
It was a really long way to go, and he didn’t get there.
F
- Proud Papa Bear - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 1:43 pm:
F. You could play in the NBA with that much of a reach.
- River Heights PI - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 1:48 pm:
I’d actually say this a good ad for younger voters. DSA is gaining a lot of hype from young people who are tired of the status quo, and that message seems to be doing really well in blue states. I don’t think he’ll win as an independent, but maybe all it would take is an endorsement from Zohran Mamdani.
- West Sider - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 2:00 pm:
When we need bridge builders- Sigcho Lopez is out burning his.
- Old IL Dude - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 2:01 pm:
This tells me nothing about Byron S-Lopez. What I know about Byron is his being at a rally where an American flag was burnt, and his continual wearing of a black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh around his shoulders.
- Leslie K - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 2:38 pm:
==When we need bridge builders- Sigcho Lopez is out burning his.==
Well said
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
I’m not really sure how to grade this. I am in a state of befuddlement that Blago’s records are coming up to target Patty Garcia who would have been in her early 20s at the time. She is not the candidate I would expect to be featured in an ad featuring Blago’s recorded voice.
This ad is not something my standard rubric is really designed to address, but it was really well done. If I consider the ad in a vacuum it’s a B for a negative add. There’s a lot of jumps to make for this to work, but it sort of does. It confuses me as much as a sour cream and raisin pie.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 2:56 pm:
Bad stuff. Blago hits are getting old, and they do a really crummy job connecting them to Garcia.
- Igor Studenkov - Thursday, Jul 2, 26 @ 3:15 pm:
==Chuy’s crew must have great relationships with the DSA types because I am not hearing much uproar about Byron not making the ballot from anyone but Byron himself==
DSA Chicago and Party for Socialism and Liberation Chicago chapter has been making plenty of noise about it on social media. And it is worth noting that DSA Chicago endorsed Sigcho Lopez in December 2025, before he formally launched the campaign.