Keith Wilson (businessman)

Keith D. Wilson is an American businessman, nonprofit executive, and Democratic politician who is currently the Mayor-elect of Portland, Oregon after winning the 2024 election.[1][2]

Keith Wilson
Mayor-elect of Portland, Oregon
Elect
Assuming office
January 1, 2025
SucceedingTed Wheeler
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Portland
Oregon State University
Portland Community College

He is the president and chief executive officer of Titan Freight Systems.

Education

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Wilson graduated from Roosevelt High School before attending Portland Community College (PCC) and Oregon State University (OSU).[3] He later received his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Portland.[3]

Career

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After attending PCC and OSU, Wilson moved to New York City to work for NBC in the sales department. He was homeless for a short time, living in LaGuardia Airport. In 1990, he returned to Portland to help his father run the family company.[3] In 1998, Wilson merged his father's two companies into one, Titan Freight Systems. Titan became the first trucking company in Oregon to operate with a completely fossil fuel-free fleet.[3] Wilson is also the founder of Shelter Portland, a nonprofit organization seeking to end homelessness.[4]

Politics

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In 2020, Wilson ran for Portland City Council in an attempt to unseat incumbent Chloe Eudaly. He lost the primary election, and the seat was eventually won by Mingus Mapps.[5] After his defeat, Wilson self-funded multiple trips to various cities and countries around the world in order to talk with experts on homelessness.[3]

Wilson was a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention and was a member of the Platform Committee.[6]

Portland mayoral campaign
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On June 12, 2024, Wilson announced his intention to run for mayor of Portland in the 2024 election.[7] Part of his campaign promises is to completely end unsheltered homelessness in Portland.[8][9]

On election night, November 5, 2024, Wilson had an early lead. He and city commissioner Carmen Rubio advanced past the first few rounds.[10] The next day, most news agencies called the race for Wilson and Rubio conceded.[11]

Electoral history

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2020 Portland City Commission Primary election, Position 4
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Chloe Eudaly (incumbent) 65,142 31.3%
Nonpartisan Mingus Mapps 59,603 28.6%
Nonpartisan Sam Adams 57,738 27.7%
Nonpartisan Keith Wilson 10,868 5.2%
Nonpartisan Seth Woolley 8,346 4.0%
Nonpartisan Kevin McKay 3,318 1.6%
Nonpartisan Robert MacKay 1,519 0.7%
Nonpartisan Aaron Fancher 1,056 0.5%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 820 0.4%
Total votes 208,410 100

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (2024-11-07). "Keith Wilson, businessman and political outsider, elected mayor of Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  2. ^ Anthony Macuk (November 6, 2024). "Portland mayoral race called for Keith Wilson; Carmen Rubio concedes". KGW.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilson Is Indefatigable. But His Ambition Could Be His Downfall". Willamette Week. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  4. ^ "Our Team". Shelter Portland. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  5. ^ "Keith Wilson". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  6. ^ "2024 Democratic National Convention Delegation". Democratic Party of Oregon. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  7. ^ "Register of City Candidates - November 2024 General Election". www.portland.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  8. ^ Wilson, Keith (2022-06-30). "My View: Unsheltered homelessness crisis can be solved". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  9. ^ "'I'm taking action': Portland mayoral candidate Keith Wilson claims he will end unsheltered homelessness in 1 year if elected". KGW. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  10. ^ "Keith Wilson Takes Early Lead in Mayor's Race". Willamette Week. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  11. ^ "Portland mayoral race called for Keith Wilson; Carmen Rubio concedes". kgw.com. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-07.