A member of the Republican Party, he has represented the 5th district on the New Hampshire Executive Council since 2021, and previously from 2001 to 2005, 2011 and 2013, and 2015 to 2019.
Wheeler was re-elected in 2002, defeating former state representative Michael Blaisdell in the general election.
In 2004, Wheeler lost re-election to former state senator Debora Pignatelli; this would be the first of seven faceoffs between the two that would occur over the next sixteen years.
Pignatelli did not seek re-election in 2014 and Wheeler defeated at-large Nashua alder Diane Sheehan to win his seat back; he then fought back a challenge from nonprofit director Dan Weeks in 2016.
He defeated at-large Nashua alder Shoshanna Kelly in 2022 to win an eighth non-consecutive term.