The Democratic Party, especially in the House of Representatives, is in total shambles in many different ways. One of the internal beefs was caused by Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL).

According to the New York Post, Garcia was formally denounced by the lower chamber this week after a controversy involving an "underhanded scheme" meant to prevent any challenges to a successor that he had hand-picked. 

The House adopted a resolution to formally rebuke Garcia's scheme, which involved "timing his retirement announcement after the filing deadline for primary candidates in his district, a cutoff his chief of staff happened to meet."

The vote to rebuke the Democrat came down with a 236-183 total.

What's going on?

Garcia was absolutely excoriated by many members of his own party, including Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash) who described his actions as "election subversion."

“I believe election subversion is wrong no matter who’s doing it, and I think that right now we’re seeing a profound, very loud call from Americans for transparency," the Democratic lawmaker said during a CNN interview about Garcia's actions.

She admitted that it's not ideal to have to call out a fellow party member, but emphasized doing the right thing, even when it's not politically convenient.

“You don’t just turn a blind eye to wrongdoing or unethical behavior when it’s politically convenient,” she added. “It’s not fun to call out a member of your own party, but I think it’s important."

I applaud my colleague @RepMGP for standing up against yet another example of political malfeasance in Chicago.

Chuy Garcia chose to subvert the will of the voters by coronating his chief of staff as his successor. Shame on most House Democrats for defending his actions. pic.twitter.com/03oyrD9w9h

— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) November 18, 2025

Garcia also happened to be the first to sign the petition for his aide's candidacy petition several days before he announced his retirement.

Social media reaction

Many across social media slammed Garcia and the Democrats who defended his shady tactics. Many also pointed out that it happened in Illinois, which is known for its deep political corruption.

"Illinois is a kingdom and in kingdoms, you have lines of succession. It's always been this way. Family members, relatives and friends of friends...King Madigan had a very lucrative business, receiving tithes from his minions," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Except it is a reflection of his character that he believed it was perfectly acceptable to deny citizens a voice in choosing representation. The example was set in the Presidential election with Harris. Garcia learned it well."

Only time will tell if Garcia ends up in more serious trouble regarding the matter.