Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has faced fierce online mockery after posting an Instagram video of himself dancing to announce his bid for re-election. Rather than boosting his appeal, particularly among younger voters, the clip drew a wave of criticism from commenters who accused the Democrat of ignoring serious problems, including rising crime, high rents and unemployment, during his time in office.

Official figures show overall crime in Chicago rose 27% in 2025 compared with the previous four years, driven largely by a 62% jump in motor vehicle thefts and a 47% rise in misdemeanour thefts, though murders fell 48% and robberies dropped 26% over the same period. Johnson, a 50-year-old former teacher and union organiser backed by democratic socialists in 2023, now faces low approval, with just 13.6% of likely voters in a University of Chicago survey wanting him to run again, and stiff competition from rivals including Matt Brewer, George Cardenas and Alexi Giannoulias ahead of the February 2027 election.