Edward Tevis Wheeler (born August 31, 1962) is an American politician who has served as the

mayor of Portland, Oregon The Mayor of Portland, Oregon is the official head of the city of Portland, Oregon, United States. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and has no term limits. By law, all elections in Portland are nonpartisan. The current mayor is Ted ...

since 2017. He was

Oregon State Treasurer The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four-year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads ...

from 2010 to 2016. Wheeler was elected in the 2016 Portland mayoral election and reelected in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

. Formerly a registered

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he has been described as a

moderate Democrat New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as cultura ...

Early life and education

A sixth-generation Oregonian, Wheeler was born in Portland to a family with roots and wealth in the Oregon timber industry. His father, Sam Wheeler, was executive vice president at

Willamette Industries Willamette Industries, Inc. was a Fortune 500 forest products company based in Portland, Oregon, United States. a

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

company formed in 1967 by mergers and acquisitions of timber companies (Sam Wheeler sold

Wheeler Lumber Company Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a ...

, incorporated in 1900 by his great-grandfather,

Coleman Wheeler Coleman may refer to: Places Antarctica * Coleman Glacier (Antarctica) * Coleman Peak, Ross Island Canada * Coleman, Alberta * Coleman, Ontario * Coleman, Prince Edward Island United Kingdom * Coleman, Leicester, England United States * Cole ...

, in

Wheeler, Tillamook County, Oregon Wheeler is a city in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The population was 414 at the 2010 census. It is named after Coleman Wheeler, who opened a sawmill in the town and had a lumber business; Coleman is a great-grandfather of Ted Wheele ...

.) Sam Wheeler divorced his mother, Leslie, in 1972; Ted was 10 years old at the time. He later discussed his father's alcoholism. Ted Wheeler attended Portland Public Schools, graduating from Lincoln High School. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1985. He also earned an

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1989 and a master's in public policy from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Wheeler worked for several financial services companies, including the

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank w ...

and Copper Mountain Trust.

Political career

Wheeler's political career began with a campaign for the Boston City Council. He finished 11th in a field of 12 candidates in the 1993 Boston City Council election. Wheeler was registered as a Republican until 2001 and described as "the wealthy heir to a timber fortune controlled by social and fiscal conservatives". In

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, he defeated incumbent

Multnomah County Multnomah County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 815,428. Multnomah County is part of the Portland–Vancouver– Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thou ...

chair Diane Linn to become chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, taking office in January 2007.

Multnomah County Commissioner

Shortly after his election as chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, Wheeler worked with his colleagues to balance a county budget that had called for $22.3 million in cuts in 2009. Wheeler also fought to preserve social safety net programs and to eliminate hidden fees from state-issued debit cards. Following the loss of nearly $16 million in Oregon Common School Fund and Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund investments, Wheeler co-filed a class-action lawsuit with Attorney General

Ellen Rosenblum Ellen F. Rosenblum (born January 6, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the Oregon Attorney General since 2012. She is the first female state attorney general in Oregon's history, and previously was a judge on the Oreg ...

to recover the money after firms misled investors. Building, preserving and updating public space and infrastructure was a focus during Wheeler's time as County Commissioner. He led efforts to construct new libraries in Kenton and Troutdale and to construct the new East County Courthouse in

. Wheeler also fought to fund repairs for the crumbling

Sellwood Bridge The Sellwood Bridge is a deck arch bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The current bridge opened in 2016 and replaced a 1925 span that had carried the same name. The original bridge was Portland's firs ...

. Under Wheeler Portland became Oregon's first municipality to "

Ban the Box Ban the Box is the name of an American campaign by advocates for ex-offenders aimed at removing the check box that asks if applicants have a criminal record from hiring applications. Its purpose is to enable ex-offenders to display their qualificat ...

", which reduces employment discrimination against residents with a criminal record by removing the criminal history check box on forms.

State treasurer

Ted Wheeler at Pendleton Round-Up Parade

On March 7, 2010, incumbent Oregon State Treasurer

Ben Westlund Bernard John "Ben" Westlund II (September 3, 1949 – March 7, 2010) was an American politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he was elected State Treasurer in 2008. Previously, Westlund served in both houses of the Oregon Legislati ...

died of lung cancer. Two days later Governor

Ted Kulongoski Theodore Ralph Kulongoski ( ; born November 5, 1940) is an American politician, judge, and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative As ...

appointed Wheeler to the office. Wheeler defeated fellow Democrat

Rick Metsger Richard Thomas Metsger (born August 16, 1951) served in the Oregon State Senate from 1999 to 2011. President Barack Obama nominated Rick Metsger to serve on the Board of the National Credit Union Administration on May 16, 2013. The U.S. Senate ...

in the Democratic primary election on May 18, 2010, and defeated Republican

Chris Telfer Chris Telfer is a former Republican and current Independent Party of Oregon politician and Certified Public Accountant in Bend, Oregon, United States. Telfer serves on the Bend City Council, and was elected to the Oregon State Senate in the N ...

, Progressive Walt Brown and Michael Marsh of the Constitution Party in the November

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...

for the rest of Westlund's term, which ended in 2013. He was elected to a second full term in the

Oregon state elections, 2012 On November 6, 2012, the U.S. state of Oregon held statewide general elections for four statewide offices ( secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and commissioner of labor), both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and severa ...

. Wheeler practiced aggressive financial management, achieving more than $172 million in cash flow savings since 2013. He promoted environmental stewardship, committing to double Oregon's investments in renewable energy resources by January 2020, and double them again by 2030. Wheeler also pledged not to pursue new investments in coal. He promoted the use of ESG (Environmental Social Governance) for all state investments to improve long-term performance, and urged the

Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...

to institute tougher reviews of carbon asset risk disclosures from 45 major corporations. Wheeler was chair of the Oregon Retirement Savings Task Force, which developed what became the OregonSaves program to assist state residents in saving for retirement. It grew Oregon's pension fund to more than $72 billion, one of the country's five strongest state pension funds.

Portland mayoral campaign

Wheeler launched a run for mayor on October 14, 2015. He campaigned on addressing income inequality and ensuring government accountability. During his speech, Wheeler promised to build a government that worked "for every person." In October 2015, former Portland mayors

Vera Katz Vera Katz (née Pistrak; August 3, 1933 – December 11, 2017) was an American Democratic politician in the state of Oregon. She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 49th mayor of Portland, O ...

Tom Potter Thomas Jay Potter (born September 12, 1940) is a former American politician and law enforcement officer in the U.S. state of Oregon. He served as Mayor of Portland from 2005 to 2009, and had been the chief of the Portland Police Bureau. As mayor ...

, and

Sam Adams Samuel Adams ( – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and ...

endorsed Wheeler. Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis also endorsed him, as did State Representatives

Lew Frederick Lew Frederick (born December 1951) is an American Democratic politician, currently representing District 22 in the Oregon Senate. Early life and education Born in Pullman, Washington, Frederick grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Atlanta, G ...

and

Tobias Read Tobias Read (born July 1, 1975) is an American politician who is the current Oregon State Treasurer. He was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 27 from 2007–2017, which comprises parts of Beaverton, southwest ...

, former State Senators

Ron Cease Ronald Clayton Cease (born March 3, 1931), is an American politician who was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives and Oregon State Senate. Cease was born in Britton, South Dakota in 1931 and attended the Vanport Extension Center (later ...

, Jane Cease, and

Avel Gordly Avel Louise Gordly (born February 13, 1947) is an activist, community organizer, and former politician in the U.S. state of Oregon, who in 1996 became the first African-American woman to be elected to the Oregon State Senate. She served in the S ...

, and 2012 mayoral candidate Eileen Brady. Wheeler was also endorsed by

Basic Rights Oregon Basic Rights Oregon is an American nonprofit LGBT rights organization based in Portland, Oregon. It is the largest advocacy, education, and political organization working in Oregon to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender iden ...

, the Portland Business Alliance, and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council. On May 17 Wheeler was elected mayor by winning the first round with 54% of the vote.

Mayoral tenure

Wheeler was sworn in on December 30, 2016, and his term began on January 1, 2017. One of his first actions was to make initial assignments of city departments (known as bureaus) to the five commissioners, of which the mayor is one. He assigned to himself the

Portland Police Bureau The Portland Police Bureau (PPB), officially the Portland Bureau of Police, is the law enforcement agency of the city of Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. While oversight of Portland's bureaus shifts among the five City ...

, the

Portland Development Commission Prosper Portland, formerly the Portland Development Commission (PDC), is the community development corporation A community development corporation (CDC) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated to provide programs, offer services and engage ...

, and the Portland Housing Bureau, among others. He said he intended to reconsider the initial assignments during the annual budget process in April. In July 2018 ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

'' newspaper reported that half of arrests in Portland were of people who were homeless. Wheeler, who oversaw the police department, said he saw this as a problem and that it would influence his budgeting decisions. In September 2018, Portland residents who found Wheeler's response to the growth of homeless encampments inadequate petitioned his office and other local agencies to take stronger action. In September 2020, Wheeler announced his intention to withdraw the city from the Joint Office of Homeless Services partnership with the Multnomah County in a push to get campers on downtown streets into shelters. In 2018, the city auditor found that the city regularly ignored citizen complaints about transient camps. The ''Oregonian'' reported the city's lack of response was inconsistent with crackdown on illegal camps instituted earlier in Wheeler's term.

Far-right protests and counterprotests

In 2017, after white supremacist Jeremy Joseph Christian murdered two people on a Portland train, Wheeler called for a halt to

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

rallies in Portland. He declined to grant a city permit for an event to be staged by far-right provocateur Joey Gibson, and called on the federal government to revoke a rally permit granted to far-right groups in the federally owned

Terry Schrunk Plaza Terry Schrunk Plaza is a park located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Description and history Located across from City Hall, the park is named after former Portland mayor Terry Schrunk and neighbors the Plaza Blocks consisting of C ...

. In asking the federal government to revoke that permit, Wheeler incorrectly stated that "hate speech is not protected by the

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

." The

U.S. General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...

declined to revoke the permit. In that rally and subsequent ones in Portland in 2017 and 2018, violence erupted as far-right activists (including

Patriot Prayer Patriot Prayer is a far-right group founded by Joey Gibson in 2016 and based in Vancouver, Washington, a suburban city in the Portland metropolitan area. Since 2016, the group has organized several dozen pro-gun, pro-Trump rallies held in liber ...

and the

Proud Boys The Proud Boys is an American far-right, neo-fascist, and exclusively male organization that promotes and engages in political violence in the United States.Far-right: * * Fascist: * * * * * Men only: * * * Political violence: * * * It has ...

) repeatedly brawled with antifa and other left-wing counter-demonstrators on Portland streets.Amelia Templeton
Portland Mayor Wants More Power To Regulate Protests — And Needs Just 1 More Vote To Get It
Oregon Public Broadcasting (October 8, 2018).Mayor Wheeler's protest-restricting ordinance fails in city council vote
KGW (November 14, 2018). In October 2018, Wheeler sought greater power to regulate protests, proposing an ordinance that would give him (in his role as police commissioner) greater powers to control the location, duration, timing, and size of protests in Portland and to keep opposing groups physically separated.Portland Mayor's Controversial Protest Ordinance Fails In City Council
Oregon Public Broadcasting (November 14, 2018). Wheeler described the measure as an attempt to stop people from "beating the bejesus out of each other on the streets of our city." He described the proposal as a valid

time, place, and manner In the United States, freedom of speech, freedom of speech and expression is strongly protected from government restrictions by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, many state constitutions, and state and federal laws. Freedom ...

restriction, but the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

(ACLU) opposed it, arguing that it would impinge on constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly, and indicating that it would legally challenge the ordinance if adopted. In November 2018, the council voted down Wheeler's proposal, 3–2. In August 2019, Wheeler requested that Governor

Kate Brown Katherine Brown (born June 21, 1960) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 38th governor of Oregon since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms as the state representative from the 13th district of the ...

keep the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

ready to respond in anticipation of a potentially explosive standoff between far-right groups and antifa demonstrators. Brown and state

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

Michael E. Stencel denied the request.

George Floyd protests

George Floyd police brutality protests - Portland Oregon - July 22 - tedder - Ted Wheeler sign - HEY TED YOU DID THIS

George Floyd police brutality protests - Portland Oregon - July 22 - tedder - Ted Wheeler - THEODORE RESIGN

On May 30, 2020, Wheeler imposed a curfew on Portland during the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

protests (sparked by the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...

, the fatal police

shooting of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment on March 13, 2020, when at least seven police officers forced entry into the apartment as part of an investigation into drug dealing op ...

, and the

murder of Ahmaud Arbery On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was murdered during a racially motivated Hate crime laws in the United States, hate crime while jogging in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia, Brunswick in Glynn ...

, earlier in the year). Critics of the curfew argued that police officers would have an incentive to restrict free speech and incite violence on peaceful protesting using crowd-control methods such as

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...

and

stun grenade A stun grenade, also known as a flash grenade, flashbang, thunderflash, or sound bomb, is a Non-lethal weapon, less-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses. Upon detonation, they produce a blinding flash of light a ...

s, both of which were deployed on crowds of demonstrators in Portland and nationwide. This earned him the nickname ''Tear Gas Teddy.'' On June 2, Wheeler lifted the curfew due to his perception of a "significant eacefulshift in the tenor." Wheeler also requested the deployment of the

Oregon National Guard The Oregon Military Department is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, which oversees the armed forces of the state of Oregon. Under the authority and direction of the governor as commander-in-chief, the agency is responsib ...

to Portland in response to protests following the murder of George Floyd, but Governor

refused. In response to the Portland Police Bureau's use of tear gas on protesters, Portland organization

Don't Shoot PDX Don't Shoot Portland, also called Don't Shoot PDX, is a Portland, Oregon-based accountability group formed by Black Lives Matter supporter Teressa Raiford to scrutinize actions of the Portland Police Bureau. History Don't Shoot Portland held a ...

filed a class-action lawsuit against the city on June 5, 2020. On June 6, Wheeler said that he supported nonviolent demonstrations for "meaningful reform and restorative justice" and had "serious concerns about the use of

CS gas The compound 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called ''o''-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile; chemical formula: C10H5ClN2), a cyanocarbon, is the defining component of tear gas commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent ...

for crowd management"; he said he would not ban police from using tear gas, but that he had "directed Portland Police Chief

Jami Resch Jami L. Resch is the former chief of police of the police bureau of Portland, Oregon, United States. She served in that role from December 31, 2019, until June 8, 2020. Early life and education Resch was born in Montana, and moved to the Beave ...

that gas should not be used unless there is a serious and immediate threat to life safety, and there is no other viable alternative for dispersal." On June 15, Wheeler called for an overhaul of Portland's police oversight system, which he said doesn't have "any real teeth." Nightly protests at the federal courthouse in Portland were followed by the deployment of federal agents to the city in July 2020, and there were episodes of violent confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.Gillian Flaccus
Portland protesters cause mayhem again, police officer hurt
Associated Press (August 7, 2020). After videos showed masked, camouflaged federal agents without identification arresting protesters, Wheeler said, "This is not the America we want. This is not the Portland we want. We're demanding that the President remove these additional troops that he sent to our city. It is not helping to contain or deescalate the situation. It's obviously having exactly the opposite impact." Oregon Governor Brown, and U.S. Senator

Jeff Merkley Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Oregon since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley served as the 64th speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives ...

, also called the federal deployment an authoritarian abuse of power; the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, Billy J. Williams, called for an investigation, and Oregon Attorney General

filed a federal lawsuit against DHS. On July 22, Wheeler addressed nightly protesters, but was booed by them for his actions as Portland Police Commissioner and the Portland Police's own response to the protests. The crowd chanted "Fuck Ted Wheeler" and "Quit Your Job" as he spoke. After speaking, Wheeler and at least five security guards went to the front of the protest area. Wheeler was caught in tear gas released by federal agents. Wheeler left after the first round of tear gas, after which Portland police declared a riot. At the end of July, in accordance with a deal made between Governor Kate Brown and the federal government, federal agents withdrew from Portland and calm was largely restored in the city, with largely peaceful protests. On August 6 and 7, there were a number of peaceful rallies in the city, but—despite Wheeler urging demonstrators to stay off the street—also renewed violence from demonstrators, including attacks on local police precincts (such as an attempt to set it ablaze); there were also two reports of assaults against elderly women.Gillian Flaccus
Portland mayor decries violent protesters as props for Trump
Associated Press (August 6, 2020). Police arrested 13 people. Police in Portland used tear gas for the first time since federal forces withdrew from the city. Directly addressing those who had committed violent acts, Wheeler said, "You are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder. Don't think for a moment that you are if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump—because you absolutely are. You are creating the

B-roll In film and television production, B-roll, B roll, B-reel or B reel is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot. The term ''A-roll'', referring to main footage, has fallen out of use. Film and video production Films and ...

film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign." Portland Police violence protests - Ted Wheeler 58th birthday celebration - Pearl District

Portland Police violence protests - Ted Wheeler 58th birthday celebration - Pearl District

On August 31, protesters gathered outside Wheeler's condo, demanding that he resign. Police responded after the group lit fires, broke windows, and set a small fire in a nearby business. Police declared the assembly a riot after a fire was lit in the street. 19 protesters were arrested, mainly for

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. Typically, "disorderly conduct" makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to " disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain are ...

and interfering with a peace officer. On September 2 Wheeler said he was leaving his apartment building due to safety concerns posed by the ongoing protests; he apologized to fellow building residents "for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position". Throughout the protests, local activists called for Wheeler's resignation, for various reasons. Some believed that he had not spoke up strongly enough against excessive use of force against protesters; others were frustrated he hasn't done more to end the nightly demonstrations and the property damage, small fires and provocations of police that usually accompany them; and some felt that he had not sufficiently handled issues such as the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and related recession, homelessness, a lack of

affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on affo ...

, a spike in gun crime, race relations, and economic inequality. ''

'' reported: "Critics and observers largely fault Wheeler not for what he's said or done as much as the tepid manner in which he's addressed key issues and the steps and stands he hasn't taken." During the Portland foreclosure protest, Wheeler said, "There will be no autonomous zone in Portland." By the end of 2020, the number of protest actions had dwindled, but those who remained were radicalized.Aaron Mesh
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Demands Harsher Criminal Penalties for Property Destruction
''Willamette Week'' (January 1, 2021). On

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...

2021, Wheeler—angered by repeated vandalism of downtown shops as well as violence on

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

(in which a few dozen shot fireworks at the Multnomah County Justice Center and smashed windows in downtown Portland)—vowed

zero tolerance A zero tolerance policy is one which imposes a punishment for every infraction of a stated rule.zero tolerance, n.' (under ''zero, n.''). The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed. 1989. Retrieved 10 November 2009. Italy, Japan, Singapore China, Indi ...

for criminal behavior by "violent antifa and anarchists ... rampaging through Portland" and called upon the

Oregon Legislature The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...

to impose harsher sentencings for repeat offenses of vandalism and destruction. Wheeler said that his "good-faith efforts at deescalation have been met with scorn by antifa and anarchists bent on destruction"; said that the acts of those responsible were "height of selfishness"; and pledged that he would "push back harder" against violent agitators.Maggie Vespa
After vowing to crack down on protest violence, Portland mayor says change will 'take some time'
KGW (January 11, 2021). In March 2021, after marchers started to smash windows at night in the

Pearl District The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significan ...

, Portland police used

kettling Kettling (also known as containment or corralling) is a police tactic for controlling large crowds during demonstrations or protests. It involves the formation of large cordons of police officers who then move to contain a crowd within a li ...

tactics to herd about 100 people onto a single, enclosed city block, and detained the crowd, stating that they were doing so due to suspicion of criminal conduct. Police ordered those detained to sit on the ground, required each one to identify themselves, and took photographs of each person. Police arrested those who refused to cooperate, and charges were brought against 13 people on various charges.Portland police: Detained protesters had bear spray, hammers
Associated Press (March 13, 2021).Tess Riski
Mayor Ted Wheeler Says He Supports Portland Police’s Mass Detainment of Protesters, Known as "Kettling"
''Willamette Week'' (March 15, 2021). Police reported seizing crowbars, knives, hammers, bear spray, and firearms from those detained. Wheeler strongly supported the police tactic as appropriate and lawful, and many Pearl District residents and business owners supported it.Jennifer Dowling
Wheeler rejects vandalism, anarchy during heated Town Hall
KOIN (March 18, 2021). Conversely, the tactic was condemned by the

and other groups as "aggressive and indiscriminate." In a heated exchange at an subsequent event, Wheeler rejected an attendee's defense of the vandalism as "protest" and rejected the attendee's demand for police defunding and Wheeler's resignation. Wheeler said, "I was elected through a democratic process and I still believe in democracy. I don’t believe in anarchy."

2020 reelection

In the 2020 election, Wheeler won a second term, defeating Sarah Iannarone (who outraised him) and various write-in candidates, including Teressa Raiford. It was the first time since

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

that a Portland mayor had been reelected. Iannarone, an urban policy consultant and

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

employee,Nigel Jaquiss
Portland Voters Are Fed Up With Ted Wheeler. But Are They Ready for Sarah Iannarone?
''Willamette Week'' (September 16, 2020). ran to Wheeler's left. Despite appearing politically vulnerable in the lead-up to the election, Wheeler won the support of the Portland Business Alliance, labor unions, and conservationist groups. He received 46.07% of the vote, Iannarone 40.76%, and various write-in candidates collectively 13.17%.

Political positions

Education

As treasurer, Wheeler relaunched the Oregon College Savings Program, which reached a record $2.3 billion in January 2015. The 529 savings plan allows money saved for college to grow tax-free and gives the donor a deduction on their taxable income. As mayor, Wheeler supported dissolving ACCESS Academy, an alternative program for gifted children not served by their neighborhood school due to disabilities or other challenges that prevented their learning.

Environmental issues

Wheeler is a proponent of increasing Oregon's investments in

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

funds. He commissioned a study to determine whether Oregon can replace fossil fuel companies in its fixed income portfolio. Wheeler does not support new coal investments. He supported the City of Portland's ban on expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. In 2018, Wheeler opposed an initiative that would impose a 1%

gross receipts tax A gross receipts tax or gross excise tax is a tax on the total gross revenues of a company, regardless of their source. A gross receipts tax is often compared to a sales tax; the difference is that a gross receipts tax is levied upon the seller of ...

on retailers with U.S. revenue over $1 billion and Portland revenue over $500,000, with an exemption for grocery and medicine companies, to provide revenue for a Clean Energy Fund.Pete Danko
Election 2018: Portland tax on large retailers to fund clean energy winning big
''Portland Business Journal'' (November 6, 2018). Wheeler argued that the proposal would be redundant to the statewide

Energy Trust of Oregon Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, that helps utility customers in Oregon benefit from efficient energy use and generating renewable energy. Energy Trust offers services, cash incentives, and ...

. The measure passed by a wide margin.

Gun control

Ted Wheeler and Jennifer Williamson at an anti gun rally

Wheeler advocates for increased

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...

and supports requiring rigorous background checks for people attempting to buy guns. On March 14, 2018, he released a letter in support of The National School Walkout against gun violence. On April 20, Wheeler told hundreds of students outside Portland city hall that he would work on a ban of assault-style weapons in Portland.

LGBT rights

Wheeler and his ex-wife Katrina are involved with

. Wheeler won the group's Fighting Spirit Award in 2008 following his executive order in 2007 enacting full healthcare benefits for transgender workers, and has been endorsed by the organization. He supports

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

and signed and supported the 2013 Oregon United for Marriage initiative, which advocated the legalization of same-sex marriage in Oregon.

Public safety

During his first three years as Mayor of Portland, Wheeler oversaw an increase of the police budget from $215 million to $242 million. He allows police to cover their name badges at protests. He supports abolition of a provision in the Portland Police Association's contract known as the "48-hour rule", which gives officers who have employed deadly force a 48-hour buffer before they have to answer questions.

Homelessness and housing

In November 2017, Wheeler met with other city leaders and local business owners several times to discuss shared security concerns. The meetings were by invitation only and moderated by the Portland Business Alliance. They resulted in Wheeler advocating "no sit zones" in downtown Portland, which was criticized by the Oregon

ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

and other social justice advocates and praised by the Portland Business Alliance. Protesters organized a sit-in to oppose the city policy with signs that read "Mayor for Sale".

Personal life

Wheeler lived in Southwest Portland with his wife and daughter. After his divorce, he moved into an apartment in Northwest Portland. An

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

and avid outdoorsman, he summited

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...

in 2002. Wheeler is

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

and occasionally attends services at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. On January 24, 2021, during the

, Wheeler

pepper-spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a Chemical compound, compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing ...

ed a man who confronted him and former mayor

as they left a bar in Southwest Portland. The man, identified by police as Cary Cadonau, a

Alpenrose Dairy Alpenrose Dairy is a dairy and home delivery company located in the Hayhurst neighborhood of southwest Portland, Oregon, since 1916. It was owned by the Cadonau family for several generations until being sold to Smith Brothers Farms, a family-own ...

heir and Portland lawyer, was not wearing a mask and shouted at the mayor from less than away; after he refused to back off when asked to do so, Wheeler pepper-sprayed him. *Andrea Salcedo
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler pepper-sprayed a maskless man who accused him of disregarding coronavirus measures
''Washington Post'' (January 26, 2021). *Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

''The Oregonian''/OregonLive (January 26, 2021).

Electoral history

References

External links

Mayor Ted Wheeler
on City of Portland website * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Ted 1962 births 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American politicians American bankers American Episcopalians Bank of America people Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon Columbia Business School alumni Columbia University alumni Harvard Kennedy School alumni Lincoln High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni Living people Mayors of Portland, Oregon Multnomah County Commissioners Oregon Democrats Oregon Republicans Stanford University alumni State treasurers of Oregon American summiters of Mount Everest