People Thought Chance The Rapper Might Be Running For Mayor, But Instead He Endorsed Amara Enyia
Chance The Rapper has been an increasingly active presence in Chicago’s civic life in recent years.
Last year he donated $1 million to Chicago Public Schools and raised another $2 million six months later. He recently contributed another million to the city’s mental health providers. He bought the news website Chicagoist, raising eyebrows given the way his management once bullied the journalists at MTV News. He took a personal meeting with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. He’s led protest marches and marches to the polls, and he’s been a loud critic of Chicago’s embattled mayor, Rahm Emanuel.
So when Chance announced a press conference at City Hall this morning regarding the Chicago mayoral race, just after tweeting, “Im thinkin maybe I should” — a reference to his lyric, “They’re screaming Chano for mayor, I’m thinkin’ maybe I should,” from “Somewhere In Paradise” — many wondered whether he was planning to run for mayor of Chicago. Notably, Chance told Ebony last year that he’d never run for office, but these things tend to change.
Well, the press conference has occurred, and everyone can calm down: Chance isn’t running. Instead, he’s endorsing Amara Enyia, the director of the Austin Chamber Of Commerce. He told reporters, “If I back you you have a chance” — pun intended, we presume. As Pitchfork points out, Chance’s father Ken Bennett is supporting Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinckle in the mayoral race.
Watch footage of Chance’s press conference below.