He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from 1975 to 1999, representing the riding of Algoma, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.
Wildman's victory was regarded by many as an upset; he received support from NDP bastions such as Wawa, but also from more traditionally Conservative areas on the north shore of Lake Huron.
[9] He also established the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy, which sought to address health problems among native peoples in a culturally sensitive manner.
Wildman decided not to run in the 1999 election, and retired from provincial politics after almost a quarter century at Queen's Park.
The NDP actively targeted this seat as winnable, and party leader Alexa McDonough visited the riding very late in the campaign.
In 2021, Wildman was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Algoma University, in recognition of his 24 years—seven terms—of service as MPP for Algoma and in the government of Ontario, as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister responsible for Native Affairs and Minister of Environment and Energy between 1990 and 1995, as well as his community volunteerism subsequent to his retirement from electoral politics, serving as Chair of the Algoma University Board of Governors and as Chair of the Sault Group Health Association Board of Directors.