Willie Wilson (born June 16, 1948) BusinessMakers, MusicMakers - Willie L. Wilson The HistoryMakers. July 16, 2008. Accessed June 4, 2015. is an American businessman and perennial political candidate from Chicago who is currently running for mayor in the 2027 election. He unsuccessfully ran for the same office in the 2015, 2019, and 2023. He also ran for President of the United States in the 2016 United States presidential election, and for the United States Senate in 2020.
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.With White House in his sights, Willie Wilson heads to Iowa Chicago Sun Times. June 1, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015.Willie Wilson selling up-by-the-bootstraps story in Chicago mayor race Chicago Tribune. February 13, 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.
Wilson completed a seventh grade education before dropping out of primary school.
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 and New York City, 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. 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.
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 to Chicago and restoring Meigs Field (on Northerly Island) as an airport. Wilson was critical of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and pledged to fire him if elected mayor. Wilson was also critical of Chicago Public Schools 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.2015 Municipal General - 2/24/15 -- Mayor Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners. Accessed June 3, 2015.Chicago businessman Willie Wilson ready to challenge Emanuel in mayor's race WLS-TV. November 19, 2014. Accessed June 3, 2015.Race for Chicago Mayor: Willie Wilson says Emanuel is ‘an old snake in new skin’ WGN-TV February 18, 2015. June 3, 2015.
Wilson's endorsement in the runoff was actively sought by both candidates Rahm Emanuel and Jesús "Chuy" García. Wilson endorsed García.Willie Wilson: Not even President Obama could convince me to back Rahm Chicago Sun Times. June 1, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015.Key Chicago Figure, Despite a Plea by Obama, Gives a Lift to Emanuel’s Rival The New York Times. March 12, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015.
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 in the 2016 election. He ran as a Democrat.Willie Wilson, third in Chicago mayor's race, exploring presidential run Chicago Tribune. May 12, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015.Willie Wilson Throws Hat In the Ring to Bid for President Chicago Defender. May 12, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015.Chicago businessman Willie Wilson running for president WGN-TV. June 1, 2015. Accessed June 3, 2015.
The Wilson campaign was the first presidential campaign, Democratic or Republican, to buy advertisements in the state of Iowa.
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.
Detailed below are the FEC-filed finances of Willie Wilson 2016 as of 5/6/2016 + ReceiptsFinancial SourceAmount (USD)Federal Funds0Itemized Individual Contributions28,685Unitemized Individual Contributions6,705Party Committees Contributions0Other Committees Contributions0Total Contributions35,390Transfers from Authorized Committees0Candidate Loans1,055,100Other Loans0Total Loans1,055,100Offsets to Operating Expenditures9,931Fundraising Offsets0Legal and Accounting Offsets0Total Offsets9,857Other Receipts0Total Receipts1,100,421 + DisbursementsDisbursementsAmount (USD)Operating Expenditures1,055,444Transfers To Authorized Committees0Fundraising0Exempt Legal and Accounting0Candidate Loan Repayments11,627Other Loan Repayments0Total Loan Repayments11,627Individual Contribution Refunds0Political Party Contribution Refunds0Other Committee Contribution Refunds0Total Contribution Refunds0Other Disbursements33,350Total Disbursements1,100,421
+ Cash SummaryCategoryAmount (USD)Beginning Cash On Hand0Current Cash On Hand0Net Contributions35,390Net Operating Expenditures1,045,512Debts/Loans Owed By Campaign1,043,472Debts/Loans Owed To Campaign0
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 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.
2020 U.S. Senate campaign
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. 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.
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 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 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 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 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, [sic] put them on people that's actually doing [crime]," 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, 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.
2027 Chicago mayoral election
In May 2026, Wilson launched an exploratory committee for a potential fourth mayoral campaign in the 2027 mayoral election. He formally announced his candidacy on August 5, 2026.
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.
Political positions Wilson self-identifies as an independent Democrat.