Willie Lee Wilson (born June 16, 1948) is an American businessman and
perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...
from
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. He unsuccessfully ran in the
2015,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, and
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
Chicago mayoral elections, the
2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
, and for the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
.
Wilson has owned and operated several different
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
restaurant franchises and owns Omar Medical Supplies, which imports and distributes latex gloves and other medical and safety supplies and equipment.
[With White House in his sights, Willie Wilson heads to Iowa](_blank)
''Chicago Sun Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
''. June 1, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015. He also produces the nationally syndicated
gospel music television program ''Singsation'', which won a
Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award in 2012.
[Meet mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, the anti-politician]
'' RedEye''. February 11, 2015. Accessed June 6, 2015.
Early life and education
Wilson was born the son of a
sharecropper in
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
.
Wilson completed a
seventh grade
Seventh grade (or grade seven) is a year or level of education. The seventh grade is the eighth school year, the second or third year of middle school, and the first year of junior high school. Students are around 13-14 years old in this stage of ...
education
before
dropping out
Dropping out refers to leaving high school, college, university or another group for practical reasons, necessities, inability, apathy, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves.
Canada
In Canada, most ind ...
of
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
.
Wilson later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Mt. Carmel Theological Seminary and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Chicago Baptist Institute International.
Wilson left home at age thirteen, and began his working life earning twenty cents per hour working in cotton and sugar cane fields.
[
Wilson lived for periods of time in ]Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
and New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, before settling in Chicago in 1965.[
Wilson worked various jobs once he moved to Chicago, before being hired to mop floors and flip burgers at a ]McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
.[ He worked his way up, being eventually promoted to manager, and later receiving a loan to become a McDonald's franchisee, thus starting his business career.][
]
Business career
In his career as a businessman, Wilson owned five McDonald's franchises (which he subsequently sold) and started a medical-supply company.[ He also produced the nationally syndicated gospel music television program ''Singsation''][
He has served as the founder and Chairman of the Board of Omar Medical Supplies, Inc.][
Wilson served on the Board of Chicago Baptist Institute.][
]
Political career
Wilson served as the Chairman of the Governor's Task Force on Fair Practices in Contracting.[ In 2014, Illinois Governor-elect Bruce Rauner appointed Wilson to his transition team. Wilson has contended in 5 elections in the United States.
]
2015 Chicago mayoral campaign
Wilson ran for Mayor of Chicago in 2015, being one of several challengers to incumbent mayor Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...
.
Wilson collected 43,000 signatures for his candidature petition within five days. Emanuel issued a challenge to the validity of signatures collected. Emanuel ultimately dropped his challenge to Wilson's petition.
Wilson staked out a number of positions, including advocating for bringing a casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
to Chicago and restoring Meigs Field
Merrill C. Meigs Field Airport (pronounced , formerly ) was a single-runway airport in Chicago that was in operation from December 1948 until March 2003 on Northerly Island, an artificial peninsula on Lake Michigan. The airport sat adjacent to ...
(on Northerly Island
Northerly Island is a man-made peninsula along Chicago's Lake Michigan lakefront. The site of the Adler Planetarium, Northerly Island connects to the mainland through a narrow isthmus along Solidarity Drive. This street is dominated by Neoclass ...
) as an airport. Wilson was critical of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy
Garry Francis McCarthy (born May 4, 1959) is the interim Chief of Police in Willow Springs, Illinois and previous Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. He was a candidate for Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 Chicago mayoral election.
Ear ...
, and pledged to fire him if elected mayor. Wilson was also critical of Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
school closures which had taken place under Emanuel.
Wilson placed third in a five-candidate race with 50,960 votes, equal 10.66% of the votes cast.
Wilson's endorsement in the runoff was actively sought by both candidates Rahm Emanuel and Jesús "Chuy" García
Jesus ( AD 30 or 33) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who most Christians believe to be the incarnation of God and Muslims believe was a prophet.
Jesus may also refer to:
People
Religious figures
* Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jew in the ''Act ...
. Wilson endorsed García.
2016 U.S. presidential campaign
After setting up an exploratory committee on May 11, 2015, Wilson officially announced on June 1, 2015, that he would be running as a candidate for President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
in the 2016 election. He ran as a Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
The Wilson campaign was the first presidential campaign, Democratic or Republican, to buy advertisements in the state of Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
.
Wilson was on the ballot in several states during the 2016 Democratic primaries. He was the only minor candidate to appear on the ballot in South Carolina's "First in the South" primaries, perhaps due to the comparatively higher cost of the state's ballot entry fee. Wilson received 1,314 votes, or 0.35% of the total, in South Carolina, placing ahead of Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. Wilson dropped out on April 12, 2016.
In the general election, Wilson voted for Republican nominee Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
.
Detailed below are the FEC-filed finances of ''Willie Wilson 2016'' as of 5/6/2016[
]
2019 Chicago mayoral campaign
In March 2018, Wilson formally announced that he would run a second time for Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 mayoral election.
During his campaign, Wilson generated controversy for handing out money to churchgoers. This practice of his was challenged before the Illinois State Board of Elections, which found that it did not violate any campaign finance laws since the money came from his non-profit foundation. Wilson defended his actions, declaring that his church appearances were not campaign-related, and that he was not buying votes. He continued this practice after the decision by the Board of Elections.
During the campaign, in late November 2018, Wilson declared that he believed that other black candidates needed, "to get out of the way."
Wilson launched challenges to the candidature petitions of several black candidates, including Roger Washington, Ja'Mal Green, Neal Sales-Griffin, and Dorothy Brown.[ At the last minute, Wilson moved to drop his challenge to Sales-Griffin's and Brown's petitions. Brown was still removed from the ballot due to ]Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Lynn Preckwinkle (née Reed; born March 17, 1947) is an American politician and the current County Board President in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was first elected as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the ...
maintaining her challenge to Brown's petition, but Sales-Griffin was allowed to be included on the ballot.[ Chicago Electoral Board Chair Marisel Hernandez chastised the Wilson campaign for its political maneuvers regarding ballot challenges.][
Wilson was endorsed by the Cook County Republican Party.
Wilson failed to make it to the runoff, placing fourth with 59,072 votes, equal 10.61% of vote cast.] Wilson performed very well on the West and South sides of the city. Despite placing fourth, Wilson had a plurality of the vote in more wards than any other candidate (he came first in thirteen wards).[ The thirteen wards that Wilson carried a plurality of the vote in were all predominately black (these being thirteen out of the total of eighteen wards in the city that are predominately black).
Again, Wilson's endorsement was actively sought by both candidates in the runoff. Wilson endorsed ]Lori Lightfoot
Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2019 as the 56th mayor of Chicago. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked in private legal practice as ...
.
2020 U.S. Senate campaign
In August 2019, Wilson expressed his intention to challenge incumbent United States Senator from Illinois Dick Durbin
Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate De ...
in 2020, running in the general election as an independent challenger to Durbin. Rather than run as an independent, he ultimately opted to run under the ballot line of his newly created "Willie Wilson Party".
Wilson received the support of three current and former Chicago aldermen, as well as that of the Fraternal Order of Police
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is a fraternal organization consisting of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It reports a membership of over 355,000 members organized in 2,100 local chapters (lodges), state lodges, and th ...
.
Wilson received 4% of the vote statewide, finishing in a distant third place. His highest support came from the majority-black wards of Chicago where he had done well in both his mayoral campaigns. Totaling up all 18 of Chicago's majority-black wards, Wilson garnered 18.5% of the vote, well ahead of Republican Mark Curran, who received only 4%, but still far behind Durbin who received 75.9%.[
]
2023 Chicago mayoral campaign
Wilson launched a third campaign to become the Mayor of Chicago. Wilson is running as an independent, as Chicago hosts non-partisan elections. In the winter, Wilson donated various resources to combat 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 identi ...
. In response to high inflation, Wilson organized various gas giveaways and food donations.
Wilson’s campaign cited key issues in his platform as being small businesses, increasing safety, and ‘rebuilding’ Chicago. Wilson advocated for increased safety on public transport, crime reduction, tax reduction, and opposing corruption. He also supported the abolishment of red-light traffic cameras, parking meter reform, and other issues.
Wilson accused incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot
Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2019 as the 56th mayor of Chicago. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked in private legal practice as ...
of mismanagement, especially relating to gas prices and economic reinvigoration. He also called out corruption in the city, and said some officials were “out of touch” with the public. Wilson criticized earlier decisions to implement previous safety measures amid 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 identi ...
that had the impact of temporary prohibiting church gatherings.
Describing himself as "pro policeman", Wilson stood in opposition to rules and regulations that he regards as hindering the police's ability to combat crime. At one mayoral debate, Wilson declared that the city should, "Take the handcuffs off the policy, ic/nowiki> put them on people that's actually doing rime
Rime may refer to:
*Rime ice, ice that forms when water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, such as trees
Rime is also an alternative spelling of "rhyme" as a noun:
*Syllable rime, term used in the study of phonology in ling ...
/nowiki>," and that those who flee police should be, "hunted down like rabbits". Wilson spoke positively of the Chicago Police Department.
Wilson was considered to be the only of the nine candidates on the ballot not to be affiliated with the Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, though the election is officially nonpartisan.
In the initial round of the election, Wilson was defeated, placing fifth of nine candidates with 49,248 votes (9.57% of the election's overall vote). A week after the first round, Wilson subsequently endorsed Paul Vallas in the runoff election.
Personal life
Wilson is married to Janette Wilson. As of 2023, he lives in Chicago's downtown.
Wilson's son Omar, who was involved in gangs and drug dealing, was shot and killed at the age of 20.
In early October 2020, Wilson tested positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
.
Political positions
Wilson self-identifies as an independent Democrat
In U.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party (chooses to be an independent) or is denied the Democratic nomination ...
.[
In the 2016 United States Presidential general election, Wilson personally voted for Republican nominee Donald Trump.][ When asked in 2019 about his possible vote in the 2020 election, Wilson declared, "I am not going to vote, nor will I ever vote again, for President Trump."][
During the ]COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. state of Illinois on January 24, 2020, when a woman in Chicago, who had just returned from the pandemic's place of origin in Wuhan, Hubei, China, tested positive for the virus. This was the second ...
, Wilson advocated that churches should be allowed to hold in-person services despite the state's stay-at-home order
A stay-at-home order, safer-at-home order, movement control order (more common in Southeast Asia), or lockdown restrictions (in the United Kingdom) – also referred to by loose use of the terms (self-) quarantine, (self-) isolation, or lockdow ...
.
In his 2023 mayoral campaign, Wilson described himself as "pro policeman".
Economic policy
Wilson stated in 2019 that he believes the spending of tax money has "not proportionately benefited all races of citizens," in Illinois.[
]
LGBTQ rights
Wilson tweeted in response to the Obergefell v. Hodges
''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ( ), is a landmark LGBT rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protect ...
decision, “I disagree with what I consider the Supreme Court’s reinterpretation of what constitutes marriage. Marriage has and should always be that sacred union between a man and a woman. Period." However, in 2018, Wilson declared that he had changed his mind on the issue of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
, declaring that he now believes that, "everybody is entitled to do whatever they want to do and be with whoever they want to be."[
In a 2018 interview with the '']Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...
'', Wilson stated that his upbringing in the Deep South had made it difficult for him to understand the LGBTQ community, but that he was "reaching out" and seeking to "learn".[
]
Electoral history
Mayoral
2016 Democratic presidential primaries
:A.On ballot as ''other''
:B.Counting ''Uncommitted'' as having placed 3rd
:C.Counting ''Uncommitted'', ''No Preference'', and scattering, respectively, as placing 4th, 6th, and 7th
United States Senate
References
External links
wiillie wilson for mayor 2022
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Willie
1948 births
21st-century American politicians
African-American business executives
American business executives
African-American Christians
African-American people in Illinois politics
African-American candidates for President of the United States
Businesspeople from Chicago
Illinois Democrats
Living people
McDonald's people
Politicians from Chicago
Candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election
Candidates in the 2020 United States Senate elections
Illinois Independents
21st-century African-American politicians
20th-century African-American people