Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection to Congress, and confirmed that he will be pursuing another move: testing the presidential waters.
“I will be reaching out to people across the country. I am going to take the steps to guarantee [Federal Election Commission] regulations and rules about campaign financing, first and foremost, make sure I’m following the law, ” Gutiérrez told reporters. “I’m going to sit down with Soraida [Gutiérrez’s wife], and we’re going to figure it out…I want to build something national.”
Gutierrez, who is known as a fervent immigrant rights proponent, lamented the lack of outreach to immigrant communities in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania during the 2016 presidential race. Gutiérrez announced that he and his wife plan to tour the country over the next six months as they work on weighing their options for a 2020 presidential run. Gutiérrez, who was first elected to Congress in 1992, is incredibly popular in his Latino-dominated Chicago-based congressional district.
“We didn’t do enough in 2016,” said Gutierrez, as he reflected back on party efforts during the last election. “I think I can bring a new set of eyes to the situation.” “We’re going to talk, and I’m going to hear. Maybe there’s a lot of enthusiasm for it.”
One week before leaving Congress, Gutiérrez was among those who lead and supported filing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Gutierrez is also recognized for being a leading legislative force in the push for Congress to pass a DREAM Act in support of undocumented students nationwide making him particularly popular amongst progressive Latino millennials.
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