Dr. Willie Wilson will soon announce if he will run for mayor of Chicago in 2023, soon. A representative stated that he will make his decision public on April 11, 2022, according to the Chicago Tribune.
He stated that many people had asked him whether or not he was going to throw his hat in the ring again. “I do owe it to the citizens of Chicago to let them know whether I’m going to run or not,” Wilson added.
This is not the first time the self-described humanitarian has run for mayor as he ran in 2015 and 2019. During the 2015 mayoral race, he collected 10 percent of the votes placing him in a distant third.
In 2019, Dr. Wilson’s three top policy proposals were:
- Reopen Meigs Field — located downtown — to generate money.
- Place four superintendents atop the Chicago Police Department. Each one would be in charge of one-quarter of the city.
- Have free CTA rides for seniors.
The three key positions he had were:
- He wants to reopen the elementary schools — all 49 — closed by former Mayor Rahm Emanual.
- Backed the reopening of mental health clinics closed during Emanual’s mayorship.
- Wilson favored an elected school board.
In that race, he finished fourth out of 14 candidates in the February first-round mayoral election. Wilson received almost 11% of the overall votes. He was victorious in 13 wards on Chicago’s West and South sides.
He then placed his endorsement with the now Mayor Lori Lightfoot. However, soon after she was elected they had a falling out.
In 2020. he ran for U.S. Senate. He believed it was “long past time for a change in DC. The people of Illinois need new representation. I am ready to serve the people of Illinois with dignity, integrity, and innovation. I always have and always will put people before Politics,” according to WTTW.
Dr. Wilson may not have won his previous mayoral races but he is a positive popular presence. Especially among the Black community.
A few weeks ago, he spearheaded several rounds of free gas giveaways throughout the city and its suburbs. He was trying to help take some of the gas price jump pressure on Chicagoans.
On April 2, he tweeted, “We Need To Listen To Each Other. We all are forced to create a new post-pandemic normal. The only way to do that is…together! Listening and working hand-in-hand – with inclusion as the guiding light – to meet the unique needs of Chicago’s diverse groups.”
In his April 5 tweet, he wrote, “Education means more employment. The more resources, skills, and trades Chicagoans have, the stronger the city and local economy. Opportunities for education will also help us erase gender & racial inequality and reduce crime.” This post touches base on his 2019 position that closed schools need to be reopened.
When economic development is up, violence comes down.
Thousands of small businesses closed due to COVID-19. We MUST help them rebuild and create new businesses through grants and support. .We need to start by focusing on hardest hit communities.#WillieWilson,#EconomicGrowth pic.twitter.com/sQYuWzZRgY
— Dr. Willie Wilson (@DrWillieWilson) April 6, 2022
It is safe to assume whether he runs or not, Wilson will continue to help out his community members to the best of his abilities.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Chicago Tribune: Who is Willie Wilson?
WTTW: Willie L. Wilson
Chicago Tribune: Willie Wilson, fresh off gas giveaways, says he’ll decide next month whether to run again for mayor
Inline Image by Evan Guest Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Josué Goge’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
