Chance giving Enyia fundraising lift
Chance the Rapper has yet to dip into his own fortune to bankroll the candidacy of his handpicked mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.
But he’s doing the next best thing: holding a fundraiser for her with potential to fill her nearly empty campaign fund with cash.
An invitation emailed Monday night invites all comers to “Join Amara, Chance the Rapper and other celebs” on Wednesday at Chicago Chop House, 60 W. Ontario.
“Get your tickets today. Space is limited,” the invite says.
A click on the RSVP tab takes you to a range of ticket prices: $100 a person for a cocktail party, $200 a head for the red carpet and cocktail party, and $500 a person for the red carpet, cocktail party and reception.
High-rollers can choose to pay $2,000 for the opportunity to attend an after-party with Chance and Enyia or $5,000 for an “intimate dinner, photo and after-party” with the rapper and his candidate.
Last month, Chicago’s Grammywinning rapper made a celebrity endorsement that instantly elevated Enyia in the crowded race to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Since then, Chance’s friend and collaborator Kanye West has donated $200,000 to Enyia in two donations.
The first one helped Enyia settle a $73,540 debt to the Illinois State Board of Elections stemming from filing fees and penalties never paid that had to be resolved before she could get on the mayoral ballot.
The second contribution for $126,460 came after West told his Twitter followers he was retreating from politics because he was tired of being “used.”
On the day Chance endorsed Enyia, he was asked whether he would also contribute to Enyia’s underfunded campaign.
“I haven’t yet, but we’ll see. I got a lot of money, so it would be scary,” he said then.
Chance has yet to write a check. But this week’s fundraiser is expected to be the first of many. That is, provided Enyia gathers the 12,500 valid signatures she needs by the Nov. 26 filing deadline to get on the ballot — and three times that many to survive a petition challenge.
Enyia has also disclosed that she and Chance have already talked about the possibility of him performing at a Chicago concert with at least some of the proceeds donated to her campaign.