Chance The Rapper Endorses Toni Preckwinkle For Mayor

CHICAGO — Chance the Rapper has announced his endorsement of Toni Preckwinkle for the next mayor of Chicago. The hip-hop star held a press conference Thursday morning in City Hall to make the announcement in the lead-up to the runoff election April 2.

Chance previously endorsed mayoral candidate Amara Enyia, who finished sixth in the Feb. 26 election.

Both Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot advanced to the run-off election, ensuring that for the first time in history, a black woman will be mayor of Chicago.

Preckwinkle, Cook County Board of Commissioners president and Cook County Democratic Party chair, has a lot of backing from organized labor, including the Chicago Teachers Union and Service Employees International Union Local 1. She's also been endorsed by multiple officeholders in municipal, state and federal levels. She has been board president since 2010, and prior to that served five terms as 4th Ward alderman.

Lori Lightfoot, former president of the Chicago Police Board, has held various roles in municipal government. Lightfoot was appointed by Emanuel to head the police board in 2015, and to chair the Police Accountability Task Force in 2016 following the shooting of Laquan McDonald.

Lightfoot also served as chief of staff for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications in 2005. She's been working as a partner at Mayer Brown LLP.

Early voting has begun across the city.

Related:

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• Preckwinkle Blew A Dog Whistle On Lightfoot's 'LGBTQ Orientation'
• Preckwinkle Disses Voters By Ditching Sun-Times Mayoral Debate
• The Lori Lightfoot I Know Blindsided Mayor Emanuel With The Truth