Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday that she was hiring a “Census Cowboy” to promote participation in the 2020 census throughout the city.
Chicago’s current response rate for the census is less than 55% and below 40% in some neighborhoods, according to The Chicago Sun Times. Lightfoot compared the Census Cowboy to Batman in her speech Monday, donning a cowboy hat, while Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” blared in the background. (RELATED: ‘My Ward Is A S***Show’: Here Are The 17 Most Explosive Quotes From Chicago Leaders’ Leaked Meltdown About Violence, Looting)
“Giddy up, Chicago. I’m calling on the Census Cowboy to help improve our Census response rates across Chicago,” Lightfoot tweeted.
Giddy up, Chicago. I’m calling on the Census Cowboy to help improve our Census response rates across Chicago. Make the Census Cowboy proud by filling out the Census today at https://t.co/tt2S9ojTmW. pic.twitter.com/eT2e6V74uk
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 13, 2020
Lightfoot said that the Census Cowboy will encourage Chicago residents to “do their part” and register for the census. (RELATED: 14 People Including Children Fatally Shot During Chicago’s Most Violent Weekend Of 2020)
“If you see the Census Cowboy coming to your neighborhood, that’s not a good thing,” Lightfoot said. “That means you got to step up and do your part and make sure that you fill out the census.”
Chicago has faced turmoil in recent weeks as violence in the city has skyrocketed amid activist calls to defund the police. Over 60 people were shot and at least 11 people were killed in the city during the second weekend of July, including five children.