Kanye West seems to be taking his first steps in running for office.
According to Federal Election Commission Form 1, Statement of Organization, signed by Andre Bodiford, the rapper is seeking the office of president under the party “BDY.” West, 43, previously stated in an interview with Forbes that it stands for “Birthday Party,” declaring, “Because when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday.”
West also filed a Statement of Candidacy with the FEC.
However, a source told 360aproko on Wednesday that he was planning on backing out of the race. “Kanye has gone back and forth with running for president, and has stated he was running and then he was going to wait,” a source told 360aproko. “He changes his mind constantly, but fielded documents in case he decides to move forward.”
“At the end of the day, Kanye will decide what Kanye wants, and the family will support him,” the source added.
An additional source told 360aproko that West was officially not running for president this year.
“Kanye isn’t planning to run in the 2020 election after careful consideration,” the source claimed. “Although Kanye does have political aspirations one day, he realizes a lot more goes into it than just saying his plan. Kanye and his family have decided that if he does pursue politics in the future that he’s prepared and has everything in order to make a legitimate run.”
The back and forth continues though, with the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Oklahoma State Election Board saying in a statement that West had qualified as an Independent candidate in the state.
“This afternoon we received a properly executed statement of candidacy for Kanye West, along with the appropriate filing fee in lieu of petition,” the statement reads. “Kanye West is now qualified as an independent candidate for President of the United States in Oklahoma and will appear on the General Election ballot.”
On Tuesday, Steve Kramer, a member of West’s campaign team, said that West was no longer planning to go up against President Donald Trump and potential Democratic nominee Joe Biden in this year’s election, according to New York Magazine’s Intelligencer.
“He’s out,” Kramer said of West, adding that there would be updates “once I get all our stuff canceled.”
Kramer told the media outlet that he was responsible for getting West on the ballot in Florida and South Carolina, and said he had more than 180 people working on it.
“I have nothing good or bad to say about Kanye,” he said. “Everyone has their personal decision about why they make decisions. Running for president has to be one of the hardest things for someone to actually contemplate at that level… any candidate running for president for the first time goes through these hiccups.”
360aproko has reached out to West’s rep for comment.
West previously announced his intention to run in 2020 on the Fourth of July, tweeting, “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION.”
He went on to discuss his campaign in a Forbes magazine interview, saying he was running as a member of the “Birthday Party,” noting that he no longer supported Trump despite past public shows of support. He also named Wyoming preacher Michelle Tidball as his vice presidential running mate.
Despite claiming he was serious about his intentions to run, West had not filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, which is a necessary step to getting on the ballot. Even if West instead intended to run as a write-in candidate, some states require that paperwork be filed in advance in order for those votes to be counted.
Though his wife, Kim Kardashian West, publicly supported his campaign, a source recently told 360aproko that she and her family had some concerns.
“Kanye’s family will always support him in his endeavors but they also worry for him. Kanye has a tendency to overwork himself physically, emotionally and mentally and not take time to rest and reset,” the source told 360aproko, adding of the Forbes interview, “The family is supportive of Kanye’s plan to run for president but they don’t agree with his recent interview.”
On Wednesday, a source told 360aproko that while Kardashian would support West in his endeavor to run for office, ultimately, she would be relieved if he doesn’t run because it would mean a lot of chaos to try to pull this off.
The source added that West hasn’t put politics entirely behind him. If he does decide to get involved, he will do so with a plan. According to the source, West got caught up in the moment and fed off the energy of some of his supporters.
