Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing fresh ridicule after posting a dance video to announce his 2027 reelection bid.
Johnson, 50, shared a 12-second clip on Instagram last week that showed him gyrating on a Chicago rooftop while lip-syncing to “Hideaway” by Kiesza. The mayor wore a gray business suit as a group of young people danced behind him, including one woman in an “I [heart] DEI” T-shirt. “POV: News just dropped that Mayor Brandon Johnson is running for re-election!” the caption read.
The video drew immediate backlash from commenters on the platform, who blasted both the awkward performance and his record in office. “No solidified plan, just dancing,” one Instagram user wrote.
“This video is just another reason as to why he’s NOT getting our votes,” another commenter added.
“Is this a joke?” a third asked.
The mockery arrives as Johnson grapples with dismal political standing. A recent University of Chicago survey found just 13.6% of likely voters want him to seek another term. He will compete in the February 2027 mayoral race against challengers including Chicago Housing Authority CEO Matt Brewer, former alderman George Cardenas and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
Crime statistics have dogged Johnson’s tenure. Chicago Police data show overall crime surged 27% through 2025 compared with the previous four-year period. Antisemitic hate crimes have jumped sharply, with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations documenting a 58% increase affecting the Jewish community over 2023-2024. Jewish leaders and the Anti-Defamation League have pressed Johnson to create an antisemitism task force, though none has been established.
The mayor has assembled other task forces, including ones on Missing and Murdered Chicago Women, Reparations, and Black Immigrants. He drew fire in April for linking the restaurant industry to slavery during a City Council fight over eliminating the tipped wage. “You just watched the entire city council, in transparency, try to take wages away from the very people who are part of an industry that has its ties to slavery is hiding from that,” Johnson said. “I am boldly declaring that we need reparations in this city, and that’s why I’m funding it.”
Johnson sparked further confusion over the summer by renewing the city’s “Trans Femicide State of Emergency” to highlight violence against transgender women. The declaration came despite just one reported killing of a trans person that year, compared with nearly 300 other murders across Chicago.
The mayor’s dance video recalled a similarly mocked moment from his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, who filmed herself dancing in city streets with a drumline during her own failed 2023 reelection campaign.
Johnson has repeatedly stirred controversy with his public remarks. Before taking office, he faced criticism for warning against “demonizing” violent “teen takeovers” in downtown Chicago, where youths set cars ablaze, damaged property and clashed with police. Following a holiday weekend that left 19 people dead, Johnson held a press conference and blamed Richard Nixon for the bloodshed. “Black death has been unfortunately been accepted in this country for a very long time,” he claimed. “We had a chance 60 years ago to get at the root causes. And people mocked President Johnson, and we ended up with Richard Nixon.”