Wilson has owned and operated several different McDonald's restaurant franchises and owns Omar Medical Supplies, which imports and distributes latex gloves and other medical and safety supplies and equipment.[2][3] He also produces the nationally syndicated gospel music television program Singsation, which won a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award in 2012.[2][4][5]
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.[9]
Wilson left home at age thirteen, and began his working life earning twenty cents per hour working in cotton and sugar cane fields.[10]
Wilson lived for periods of time in Miami and New York City, before settling in Chicago in 1965.[10]
Wilson worked various jobs once he moved to Chicago, before being hired to mop floors and flip burgers at a McDonald's.[10] 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.[10]
Business career
In his career as a businessman, Wilson owned five McDonald's franchises (which he subsequently sold) and started a medical-supply company.[5][10] He also produced the nationally syndicated gospel music television program Singsation[2][4]
He has served as the founder and Chairman of the Board of Omar Medical Supplies, Inc.[10][6]
Wilson served on the Board of Chicago Baptist Institute.[6]
Political career
Wilson served as the Chairman of the Governor's Task Force on Fair Practices in Contracting.[6] In 2014, Illinois Governor-elect Bruce Rauner appointed Wilson to his transition team.[11] Wilson has contended in 5 elections in the United States.
Wilson collected 43,000 signatures for his candidature petition within five days. Emanuel issued a challenge to the validity of signatures collected.[12] Emanuel ultimately dropped his challenge to Wilson's petition.[13]
Wilson staked out a number of positions, including advocating for bringing a casino to Chicago and restoring Meigs Field (on Northerly Island) as an airport.[10] Wilson was critical of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and pledged to fire him if elected mayor.[10] Wilson was also critical of Chicago Public Schools school closures which had taken place under Emanuel.[10]
Wilson placed third in a five-candidate race with 50,960 votes, equal 10.66% of the votes cast.[14][15][16]
Wilson's endorsement in the runoff was actively sought by both candidates Rahm Emanuel and Jesús "Chuy" García.[17] Wilson endorsed García.[18][19]
The Wilson campaign was the first presidential campaign, Democratic or Republican, to buy advertisements in the state of Iowa.[24]
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.[25] 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.[26]
In the general election, Wilson voted for Republican nominee Donald Trump.[27]
More information
Map demonstrating the ballot access of Wilson's campaign Legend:
On ballot
On ballot as other
Not on ballot
Map of third-place finishes in Democratic primaries and caucuses Legend:
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.[29] He continued this practice after the decision by the Board of Elections.[30]
During the campaign, in late November 2018, Wilson declared that he believed that other black candidates needed, "to get out of the way."[31]
Wilson launched challenges to the candidature petitions of several black candidates,[31] including Roger Washington,[31]Ja'Mal Green,[31] Neal Sales-Griffin,[32] and Dorothy Brown.[32] 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 maintaining her challenge to Brown's petition, but Sales-Griffin was allowed to be included on the ballot.[32] Chicago Electoral Board Chair Marisel Hernandez chastised the Wilson campaign for its political maneuvers regarding ballot challenges.[32]
Wilson was endorsed by the Cook County Republican Party.[33]
Wilson failed to make it to the runoff, placing fourth with 59,072 votes, equal 10.61% of vote cast.[34][35][36] Wilson performed very well on the West and South sides of the city.[37] Despite placing fourth, Wilson had a plurality of the vote in more wards than any other candidate (he came first in thirteen wards).[36][38][39][40] 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).[41]
Again, Wilson's endorsement was actively sought by both candidates in the runoff.[42] Wilson endorsed Lori Lightfoot.[43][44][45]
In August 2019, Wilson expressed his intention to challenge incumbent United States Senator from Illinois Dick Durbin in 2020, running in the general election as an independent challenger to Durbin.[46] Rather than run as an independent, he ultimately opted to run under the ballot line of his newly created "Willie Wilson Party".[47]
Wilson received the support of three current and former Chicago aldermen, as well as that of the Fraternal Order of Police.[48]
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%.[48]
Wilson launched a third campaign to become the Mayor of Chicago. Wilson ran as an independent, as Chicago hosts non-partisan elections. In the winter, Wilson donated various resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to high inflation, Wilson organized various gas giveaways[49] and food donations.[50]
Wilson’s campaign cited key issues in his platform as being small businesses, increasing safety, and ‘rebuilding’ Chicago.[51] Wilson advocated for increased safety on public transport,[52] crime reduction, tax reduction,[53] and opposing corruption. He also supported the abolishment of red-light traffic cameras,[54] parking meter reform,[55] and other issues.
Wilson accused incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot 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.[56] Wilson criticized earlier decisions to implement previous safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic that had the impact of temporary prohibiting church gatherings.[57]
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, [sic] put them on people that's actually doing [crime]," and that those who flee police should be, "hunted down like rabbits".[58] Wilson spoke positively of the Chicago Police Department.[57]
Wilson was considered to be the only of the nine candidates on the ballot not to be affiliated with the Democratic Party, though the election is officially nonpartisan.[59]
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.[60]
Personal life
Wilson is married to Janette Wilson. As of 2023, he lives in Chicago's downtown.[8]
Wilson's son Omar, who was involved in gangs and drug dealing, was shot and killed at the age of 20.[10]
In early October 2020, Wilson tested positive for COVID-19.[61]
In the 2016 United States Presidential general election, Wilson personally voted for Republican nominee Donald Trump.[27] 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."[27]
In his 2023 mayoral campaign, Wilson described himself as "pro policeman".[58]
Economic policy
Wilson stated in 2019 that he believes the spending of tax money has "not proportionately benefited all races of citizens," in Illinois.[27]
LGBTQ rights
Wilson tweeted in response to the Obergefell v. Hodges 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."[63] However, in 2018, Wilson declared that he had changed his mind on the issue of same-sex marriage, declaring that he now believes that, "everybody is entitled to do whatever they want to do and be with whoever they want to be."[63]
In a 2018 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, 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".[63]
^Thomas, Charles (January 31, 2016). "CHICAGO'S WILLIE WILSON DRUMS UP SUPPORT IN IOWA CAUCUS". WLS-TV. American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved May 30, 2016. The Iowa caucuses are just one day away and all of the big-name candidates are prepping for the first official contest of the 2016 presidential race. Among the Democratic candidates is Chicago businessman Willie Wilson. "We keep going. We're here to stay. We're not going anywhere," Wilson said Sunday. While fellow Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been exchanging jabs about who is the most electable to the White House, Wilson said the National Democratic Party is doing everything it can to stop him from getting traction. "I been turned down eight different times from speaking in Iowa, that's including the debates," Wilson said. Wilson, who is a millionaire, was the first candidate in either party with television ads in Iowa, spending hundreds of thousands of his own dollars. "We're not accepting any money from major corporations," he said. "I'm financing this here 99.9 percent of my own money." His staff blames the Hillary Clinton operatives for silencing and keeping Wilson off the ballot in southern states where African-American voters could be the difference. "He will split the vote between Hillary Clinton and Dr. Willie Wilson and they don't want that," said Nina Morris, of the Wilson campaign. However, Chicago-based political consultant Delmarie Cobb--a Clinton supporter--said the Wilson campaign's disorganization is its worst enemy: "He did not put all of his infrastructure in place," Cobb said. "So he can't necessarily blame it on the Democratic Party." Wilson--a one-time Louisiana cotton-picker who made a fortune in Chicago--still believes he can win primaries in southern states where the Democratic party is dominated by African-Americans.
^Greenberg, Eric (February 14, 2016). "Long-shot candidates look beyond New Hampshire". MSNBC. NBC Universal. Retrieved May 30, 2016. Despite his larger reach, De La Fuente shares one thing in common with his fellow New Hampshire long shots: None of them will appear on a ballot in South Carolina's "First in the South" primaries on February 20 and 27, where the cost is far more prohibitive than last Tuesday's $1,000 entry fee. The lone South Carolina curiosity will be Willie Wilson, a self-made Chicago businessman, who will appear on the Democratic ballot along with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley. As in New Hampshire, the former Maryland governor's name will remain on the ballot despite having suspended his campaign after the Iowa caucuses. Wilson previously finished third in the 2015 Chicago mayoral race, and he is the longtime host of the Windy City's television gospel music show "Singsation." Reached by phone in South Carolina yesterday, Wilson said, "I'll be happy if I get 20 percent or so of the delegates … I'm hoping I can win it." Wilson, who recalls going from mopping floors at McDonald's to owning five franchises of his own, knows the road ahead will be difficult. "I believe anything is possible, but I come on this journey to work hard and have faith."
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