CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois announcing his retirement after 13 House terms (all times local):
2:15 p.m.
Longtime Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois says he won’t seek a 14th term next year.
The Democratic congressman from Chicago announced Tuesday that he still plans to fight for immigration reform and advocate for Puerto Rico, where his family is from.
Gutierrez said he plans to travel nationwide and spend time with family after he finishes his term. He said he has no immediate plans to run for public office in Illinois or Puerto Rico, but he did not fully rule out the possibility of future public office.
The move came as a surprise because Gutierrez filed his candidate petitions for Illinois’ March primary ballot a day earlier. He was first elected in 1992 and has remained popular in the largely Hispanic district in the Chicago area.
Gutierrez endorsed Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia as a replacement. Garcia forced Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel into a mayoral runoff election in 2015.
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7:50 a.m.
Illinois Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez will announce he is retiring and won’t seek re-election next year.
The 13-term lawmaker from Chicago has been a leader in his party’s efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. His decision was confirmed by a Washington Democrat on condition of anonymity because the congressman had yet to announce his decision.
Gutierrez, 63, is a leading member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He’s pushed for federal aid to help rebuild storm-battered Puerto Rico. His parents came from Puerto Rico before moving to Chicago in the 1950s.
The congressman has also clashed repeatedly with President Donald Trump. He’s among a small handful of House Democrats who have signed onto a largely symbolic effort to impeach him.
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