Willie Wilson (born June 16, 1948)[1] is an American businessman and perennial political candidate from Chicago, Illinois.

[10] Wilson worked various jobs once he moved to Chicago, before being hired to mop floors and flip burgers at a McDonald's.

[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.

[14][15][16] Wilson's endorsement in the runoff was actively sought by both candidates Rahm Emanuel and Jesús "Chuy" García.

[18][19] 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.

[25] Wilson received 1,314 votes, or 0.35% of the total, in South Carolina, placing ahead of former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.

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.

"[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] Chicago Electoral Board Chair Marisel Hernandez chastised the Wilson campaign for its political maneuvers regarding ballot challenges.

[50] Wilson’s campaign cited key issues in his platform as being small businesses, increasing safety, and ‘rebuilding’ Chicago.

Wilson accused incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot of mismanagement, especially relating to gas prices and economic reinvigoration.

[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".

[27] In the 2016 United States Presidential general election, Wilson personally voted for Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"[27] During the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Wilson advocated that churches should be allowed to hold in-person services despite the state's stay-at-home order.

[27] 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.

"[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".