July 2026 District Survey: Iowa's 4th Congressional District
A new ICV survey of Illinois's 4th Congressional District finds more than a third of voters undecided, with independent Chris Getty largely unknown despite strong district-wide appetite for non-caucusing representation.
Polling of 653 registered voters in Illinois's 4th Congressional District, a heavily Democratic seat anchored in Chicago and Cook County, finds Democrat Patty Garcia leading a crowded field that also includes Republican Lupe Castillo, independent Chris Getty, and Working Class Party candidate Ed Hershey. With 37% of voters still unsure of their choice, the race remains unsettled even in a district where Democrats outnumber independents and Republicans combined.
Zooming In
A Wide-Open Field
Garcia leads with 34% support, followed by Castillo at 15%, Getty at 9%, and Hershey at 4%. The 37% undecided share is the largest recorded in ICV's 2026 survey series to date, leaving significant room for movement as the race develops.
Independent Candidate Still Largely Unknown
Forty percent of voters say they've never heard of Getty, and his overall favorability sits at just 22%. That's a steeper name-recognition gap than in several other districts ICV has surveyed this cycle, even though a generic politically independent candidate earns 50% favorability district-wide.
Deep Skepticism of Washington, Openness to Independents
Just 13% of voters approve of Congress's job performance, one of the lowest ratings recorded this cycle, and 82% rate the health of American democracy as unhealthy. Even so, 51% of voters say they'd prefer a representative who doesn't caucus with either major party, and a politician described as willing to work with both sides of the aisle earns 74% favorability.
Data Snapshot
Party identification: 52% Democrat, 26% independent, 15% Republican
With more than a third of IL-04 voters still undecided and an independent candidate who remains largely unintroduced, this race is less about persuading voters already committed to a major party and more about whether Getty can close a steep awareness gap before ballots are cast.
