15 Facts About Andre Vasquez

Andre Vasquez was born on May 21,1979 and is a Chicago politician, community organizer, and former rapper.

Andre Vasquez is currently serving in the Chicago City Council as alderperson for the 40th ward, which includes parts of Lincoln Square, West Ridge, and Edgewater.

Andre Vasquez won election to that office in 2019, defeating incumbent Patrick O'Connor, and was re-elected in 2023.

Andre Vasquez later earned an associate degree in business administration and management from Kaplan University in 2014.

Andre Vasquez first became involved in battle rap during his time at Lane Tech High School in the early 1990s, and later became a member of the underground hip-hop collective Molemen.

Andre Vasquez toured with the hip-hop group Atmosphere and appeared on MTV's Direct Effect and HBO's Blaze Battle.

Andre Vasquez ended his career as a rapper in 2010.

Andre Vasquez became involved in electoral politics during the 2016 presidential election as a supporter of Bernie Sanders.

In May 2018, Andre Vasquez officially kicked off his campaign for alderman of Chicago's 40th ward.

Andre Vasquez was one of five candidates who appeared on the ballot in the first-round election on February 26,2019, where he placed second with about 20 of the vote.

Andre Vasquez was sworn in as a member of Chicago City Council on May 20,2019.

Andre Vasquez is a member of the Council's Progressive Caucus.

In November 2019, Andre Vasquez was one of eleven aldermen to vote against Mayor Lori Lightfoot's first budget.

Andre Vasquez said that his vote was based on achieving several concessions as amendments to the Mayor's original proposal and a commitment from colleagues to include progressive and structural revenue options in the 2022 budget proposal.

Andre Vasquez ran for 40th Ward Democratic Committeeperson in 2020, but lost to Maggie O'Keefe.