Ted Wheeler | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Wheeler in 2018 | |
| 53rdMayor of Portland | |
| In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie Hales |
| Succeeded by | Keith Wilson |
| 28thTreasurer of Oregon | |
| In office March 11, 2010 – January 1, 2017 | |
| Governor | Ted Kulongoski John Kitzhaber Kate Brown |
| Preceded by | Ben Westlund |
| Succeeded by | Tobias Read |
| Chair of theMultnomah County Commission | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – March 11, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Diane Linn |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Cogen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Tevis Wheeler (1962-08-31)August 31, 1962 (age 63) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2001) Democratic (2001–present) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) Columbia University (MBA) Harvard University (MPP) |
| Signature |  |
Edward Tevis Wheeler (born August 31, 1962)[1] is an American politician and businessman who served as the 53rdmayor of Portland, Oregon, from 2017 to 2025. A moderate member of theDemocratic Party, Wheeler served as thestate treasurer of Oregon from 2010 to 2016 and the chair of theMultnomah County Commission from 2007 to 2010.
Wheeler was elected in the2016 Portland mayoral election and reelected in2020. Formerly a registeredRepublican,[2] he has been described as amoderate Democrat.[3][4]
A sixth-generation Oregonian, Wheeler was born in Portland to a family with roots and wealth in the Oregon timber industry. His father, Sam Wheeler, was executive vice president atWillamette Industries,[5] aFortune 500lumber company formed in 1967 by mergers and acquisitions of timber companies (Sam Wheeler sold Wheeler Lumber Company, incorporated in 1900 by Wheeler's great-grandfather, Coleman Wheeler, inWheeler, Tillamook County, Oregon.[6][7]) Sam Wheeler divorced Ted's mother, Leslie, in 1972; Wheeler was 10 years old at the time. He later discussed his father's alcoholism.[8][9]
Ted Wheeler attendedPortland Public Schools, graduating fromLincoln High School.[10] He received a bachelor's degree in economics fromStanford University in 1985. He also earned anMBA fromColumbia University in 1989 and a master's in public policy fromHarvard University.[11][12] Wheeler worked for several financial services companies, including theBank of America and Copper Mountain Trust.[13]
Wheeler's political career began with a campaign for the Boston City Council. He finished 11th in a field of 12 candidates in the1993 Boston City Council election.[14] Wheeler was registered as a Republican until 2001 and described as "the wealthy heir to a timber fortune controlled by social and fiscal conservatives".[15][2] In2006, he defeated incumbentMultnomah County chair Diane Linn to become chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners,[16] taking office in January 2007.
Shortly after he was elected chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, Wheeler worked with his colleagues to balance a county budget that had called for $22.3 million in cuts in 2009.[17] Wheeler also fought to preserve social safety net programs[18] and to eliminate hidden fees from state-issued debit cards.[19]
Following the loss of nearly $16 million in Oregon Common School Fund and Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund investments, Wheeler co-filed a class-action lawsuit with Attorney GeneralEllen Rosenblum to recover the money after firms misled investors.[20]
Building, preserving and updating public space and infrastructure was a focus during Wheeler's time as County Commissioner. He led efforts to construct new libraries in Kenton[21] and Troutdale[22] and to construct the new East County Courthouse inMultnomah County.[23] Wheeler also fought to fund repairs for the crumblingSellwood Bridge.[24]
Under Wheeler Portland became Oregon's first municipality to "Ban the Box", which reduces employment discrimination against residents with a criminal record by removing the criminal history check box on forms.[25]
On March 7, 2010, incumbent Oregon State TreasurerBen Westlund died of lung cancer. Two days later GovernorTed Kulongoski appointed Wheeler to the office.[13] Wheeler defeated fellow DemocratRick Metsger in the Democratic primary election on May 18, 2010,[26] and defeated RepublicanChris Telfer, ProgressiveWalt Brown and Michael Marsh of the Constitution Party in the Novemberspecial election for the rest of Westlund's term, which ended in 2013.[27] He was elected to a second full term in theOregon state elections, 2012.
Wheeler practiced aggressive financial management, achieving more than $172 million in cash flow savings since 2013. He promoted environmental stewardship, committing to double Oregon's investments in renewable energy resources by January 2020, and double them again by 2030. Wheeler also pledged not to pursue new investments in coal.[28] He promoted the use of ESG (Environmental Social Governance) for all state investments to improve long-term performance, and urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to institute tougher reviews of carbon asset risk disclosures from 45 major corporations.[29]
Wheeler was chair of the Oregon Retirement Savings Task Force, which developed what became theOregonSaves program to assist state residents in saving for retirement.[30] It grew Oregon's pension fund to more than $72 billion, one of the country's five strongest state pension funds.[31]
Wheeler launched a run for mayor on October 14, 2015.[31][32] He campaigned on addressing income inequality and ensuring government accountability. During his speech, Wheeler promised to build a government that worked "for every person."[33]
Taking care of those in need. Taking responsibility for protecting our environment. Taking action right now to close the gap between our wealthiest and poorest residents by providing economic opportunity for lower-income and middle-income families. Equal access to our government for every person. Understanding that every dollar we spend came from a taxpayer and we need show our respect for how hard that taxpayer worked to earn those dollars by spending them wisely. These are the authentic values of Portland. And these are my values.
— Ted Wheeler
In October 2015, former Portland mayorsVera Katz,Tom Potter, andSam Adams endorsed Wheeler.[34][35] Gresham MayorShane Bemis also endorsed him, as did State RepresentativesLew Frederick andTobias Read, former State SenatorsRon Cease,Jane Cease, andAvel Gordly, and 2012 mayoral candidateEileen Brady.[36][37] Wheeler was also endorsed byBasic Rights Oregon, the Portland Business Alliance, and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council.[37]
On May 17 Wheeler waselected mayor by winning the first round with 54% of the vote.[38][39]
Wheeler was sworn in on December 30, 2016, and his term began on January 1, 2017.[40][41] One of his first actions was to make initial assignments of city departments (known as bureaus) to the five commissioners, of which the mayor is one. He assigned to himself thePortland Police Bureau, thePortland Development Commission, and thePortland Housing Bureau,[42] among others. He said he intended to reconsider the initial assignments during the annual budget process in April.[43]
In July 2018The Oregonian newspaper reported that half of arrests in Portland were of people who were homeless. Wheeler, who oversaw the police department, said he saw this as a problem and that it would influence his budgeting decisions.[44] In September 2018, Portland residents who found Wheeler's response to the growth of homeless encampments inadequate petitioned his office and other local agencies to take stronger action.[45]
In September 2020, Wheeler announced his intention to withdraw the city from the Joint Office of Homeless Services partnership with the Multnomah County in a push to get campers on downtown streets into shelters.[46] In 2018, thecity auditor found that the city regularly ignored citizen complaints about transient camps. TheOregonian reported the city's lack of response was inconsistent with crackdown on illegal camps instituted earlier in Wheeler's term.[47]
In 2017, after white supremacistJeremy Joseph Christian murdered two people on a Portland train, Wheeler called for a halt tofar-right rallies in Portland. He declined to grant a city permit for an event to be staged by far-right provocateurJoey Gibson, and called on the federal government to revoke a rally permit granted to far-right groups in the federally ownedTerry Schrunk Plaza.[48] In asking the federal government to revoke that permit, Wheeler incorrectly stated that "hate speech is not protected by theFirst Amendment."[49][50] TheU.S. General Services Administration declined to revoke the permit.[51] In that rally and subsequent ones in Portland in 2017 and 2018, violence erupted as far-right activists (includingPatriot Prayer and theProud Boys) repeatedly brawled withantifa and other left-wing counter-demonstrators on Portland streets.[52][53][54] In October 2018, Wheeler sought greater power to regulate protests, proposing an ordinance that would give him (in his role as police commissioner) greater powers to control the location, duration, timing, and size of protests in Portland and to keep opposing groups physically separated.[53][54][55] Wheeler described the measure as an attempt to stop people from "beating the bejesus out of each other on the streets of our city."[53][54] He described the proposal as a validtime, place, and manner restriction, but theAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opposed it, arguing that it would impinge on constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly, and indicating that it would legally challenge the ordinance if adopted.[53][54][55] In November 2018, the council voted down Wheeler's proposal, 3–2.[54][55] In August 2019, Wheeler requested that GovernorKate Brown keep theNational Guard ready to respond in anticipation of a potentially explosive standoff between far-right groups and antifa demonstrators. Brown and stateadjutant generalMichael E. Stencel denied the request.[56]
On May 30, 2020, Wheeler imposed a curfew on Portland during theBlack Lives Matter protests (sparked by themurder of George Floyd, the fatal policeshooting of Breonna Taylor, and themurder of Ahmaud Arbery, earlier in the year). Critics of the curfew argued that police officers would have an incentive to restrict free speech and incite violence on peaceful protesting using crowd-control methods such astear gas andstun grenades, both of which were deployed on crowds of demonstrators in Portland and nationwide.[57] This earned him the nicknameTear Gas Teddy.[58] On June 2, Wheeler lifted the curfew due to his perception of a "significant [peaceful] shift in the tenor."[59] Wheeler also requested the deployment of theOregon National Guard to Portland in response to protests following the murder of George Floyd, but GovernorKate Brown refused.[60]
In response to the Portland Police Bureau's use of tear gas on protesters, Portland organizationDon't Shoot PDX filed a class-action lawsuit against the city on June 5, 2020.[61] On June 6, Wheeler said that he supported nonviolent demonstrations for "meaningful reform and restorative justice" and had "serious concerns about the use ofCS gas for crowd management"; he said he would not ban police from using tear gas, but that he had "directed Portland Police ChiefJami Resch that gas should not be used unless there is a serious and immediate threat to life safety, and there is no other viable alternative for dispersal."[62]
On June 15, Wheeler called for an overhaul of Portland's police oversight system, which he said doesn't have "any real teeth."[63]
Nightly protests at thefederal courthouse in Portland were followed by the deployment of federal agents to the city in July 2020, and there were episodes of violent confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.[64][65][66] After videos showed masked, camouflaged federal agents without identification arresting protesters, Wheeler said, "This is not the America we want. This is not the Portland we want. We're demanding that the President remove these additional troops that he sent to our city. It is not helping to contain or deescalate the situation. It's obviously having exactly the opposite impact."[65] Oregon Governor Brown, and U.S. SenatorJeff Merkley, also called the federal deployment an authoritarian abuse of power; the U.S. Attorney for Oregon,Billy J. Williams, called for an investigation, and Oregon Attorney GeneralEllen Rosenblum filed a federal lawsuit against DHS.[65]
On July 22, Wheeler addressed nightly protesters, but was booed by them for his actions as Portland Police Commissioner and the Portland Police's own response to the protests. The crowd chanted "Fuck Ted Wheeler" and "Quit Your Job" as he spoke. After speaking, Wheeler and at least five security guards went to the front of the protest area. Wheeler was caught in tear gas released by federal agents.[67] Wheeler left after the first round of tear gas, after which Portland police declared a riot.[68][69][70][71][72][73]
At the end of July, in accordance with a deal made between Governor Kate Brown and the federal government, federal agents withdrew from Portland and calm was largely restored in the city, with largely peaceful protests.[74][75] On August 6 and 7, there were a number of peaceful rallies in the city, but—despite Wheeler urging demonstrators to stay off the street—also renewed violence from demonstrators, including attacks on local police precincts (such as an attempt to set it ablaze); there were also two reports of assaults against elderly women.[66][76] Police arrested 13 people.[66] Police in Portland used tear gas for the first time since federal forces withdrew from the city.[76][66] Directly addressing those who had committed violent acts, Wheeler said, "You are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder. Don't think for a moment that you are if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump—because you absolutely are. You are creating theB-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign."[76][66]
On August 31, protesters gathered outside Wheeler's condo, demanding that he resign. Police responded after the group lit fires, broke windows, and set a small fire in a nearby business. Police declared the assembly a riot after a fire was lit in the street.[77] 19 protesters were arrested, mainly fordisorderly conduct and interfering with a peace officer.[78] On September 2 Wheeler said he was leaving his apartment building due to safety concerns posed by the ongoing protests; he apologized to fellow building residents "for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position".[79]
Throughout the protests, local activists called for Wheeler's resignation, for various reasons. Some believed that he had not spoken up strongly enough against excessive use of force against protesters; others were frustrated he had not done more to end the nightly demonstrations and the property damage, small fires and provocations of police that usually accompanied them; and some felt that he had not sufficiently handled issues such as theCOVID-19 pandemic andrelated recession, homelessness, a lack ofaffordable housing, a spike in gun crime, race relations, and economic inequality.[80]The Oregonian reported: "Critics and observers largely fault Wheeler not for what he's said or done as much as the tepid manner in which he's addressed key issues and the steps and stands he hasn't taken."[80]
During thePortland foreclosure protest, Wheeler said, "There will be no autonomous zone in Portland."[81]
By the end of 2020, the number of protest actions had dwindled, but those who remained were radicalized.[82] OnNew Year's Day 2021, Wheeler—angered by repeated vandalism of downtown shops as well as violence onNew Year's Eve (in which a few dozen shot fireworks at theMultnomah County Justice Center and smashed windows in downtown Portland)—vowedzero tolerance for criminal behavior by "violent antifa and anarchists ... rampaging through Portland" and called upon theOregon Legislature to impose harsher sentencings for repeat offenses of vandalism and destruction.[82] Wheeler said that his "good-faith efforts at deescalation have been met with scorn by antifa and anarchists bent on destruction"; said that the acts of those responsible were "height of selfishness"; and pledged that he would "push back harder" against violent agitators.[82][83]
In March 2021, after marchers started to smash windows at night in thePearl District, Portland police usedkettling tactics to herd about 100 people onto a single, enclosed city block, and detained the crowd, stating that they were doing so due tosuspicion of criminal conduct. Police ordered those detained to sit on the ground, required each one to identify themselves, and took photographs of each person. Police arrested those who refused to cooperate, and charges were brought against 13 people on various charges.[84][85] Police reported seizing crowbars, knives, hammers, bear spray, and firearms from those detained.[84] Wheeler strongly supported the police tactic as appropriate and lawful,[85] and many Pearl District residents and business owners supported it.[86] Conversely, the tactic was condemned by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union and other groups as "aggressive and indiscriminate."[84][85] In a heated exchange at a subsequent event, Wheeler rejected an attendee's defense of the vandalism as "protest" and rejected the attendee's demand forpolice defunding and Wheeler's resignation. Wheeler said, "I was elected through a democratic process and I still believe in democracy. I don’t believe in anarchy."[86]
In the2020 election, Wheeler won a second term, defeating Sarah Iannarone and various write-in candidates, includingTeressa Raiford. It was the first time since2000 that a Portland mayor had been reelected.[87] Iannarone, an urban policy consultant[87] andPortland State University employee,[88] ran to Wheeler's left.[88] Despite appearing politically vulnerable in the lead-up to the election, Wheeler won the support of the Portland Business Alliance, labor unions, and conservationist groups.[87] He received 46.07% of the vote, Iannarone 40.76%, and various write-in candidates collectively 13.17%.[89]
In September 2023, Wheeler announced he would not be seeking reelection in 2024.[90][91]
As treasurer, Wheeler relaunched the Oregon College Savings Program, which reached a record $2.3 billion in January 2015. The529 savings plan allows money saved for college to grow tax-free and gives the donor a deduction on their taxable income.[92]As mayor, Wheeler supported dissolving ACCESS Academy, an alternative program for gifted children not served by their neighborhood school due to disabilities or other challenges that prevented their learning.[93]
Wheeler is a proponent of increasing Oregon's investments inrenewable energy funds. He commissioned a study to determine whether Oregon can replace fossil fuel companies in its fixed income portfolio. Wheeler does not support new coal investments.[94] He supported the City of Portland's ban on expanding fossil fuel infrastructure.[95]
In 2018, Wheeler opposed an initiative that would impose a 1%gross receipts tax on retailers with U.S. revenue over $1 billion and Portland revenue over $500,000, with an exemption for grocery and medicine companies, to provide revenue for a Clean Energy Fund.[96][97] Wheeler argued that the proposal would be redundant to the statewideEnergy Trust of Oregon.[96] The measure passed by a wide margin.[97]
Wheeler advocates for increasedgun control and supports requiring rigorous background checks for people attempting to buy guns.[98] On March 14, 2018, he released a letter in support ofThe National School Walkout against gun violence.[99] On April 20, Wheeler told hundreds of students outside Portland city hall that he would work on a ban of assault-style weapons in Portland.[100]
Wheeler and his ex-wife Katrina are involved withBasic Rights Oregon. Wheeler won the group's Fighting Spirit Award in 2008 following his executive order in 2007 enacting full healthcare benefits for transgender workers, and has been endorsed by the organization.[101] He supportssame-sex marriage and signed and supported the 2013 Oregon United for Marriage initiative, which advocated the legalization of same-sex marriage in Oregon.[102]
During his first three years as Mayor of Portland, Wheeler oversaw an increase of the police budget from $215 million to $242 million.[103] He allows police to cover their name badges at protests.[103] He supports abolition of a provision in the Portland Police Association's contract known as the "48-hour rule", which gives officers who have employed deadly force a 48-hour buffer before they have to answer questions.[104]
In November 2017, Wheeler met with other city leaders and local business owners several times to discuss shared security concerns. The meetings were by invitation only and moderated by the Portland Business Alliance. They resulted in Wheeler advocating "no sit zones" in downtown Portland, which was criticized by the OregonACLU and other social justice advocates and praised by the Portland Business Alliance.[105] Protesters organized a sit-in to oppose the city policy with signs that read "Mayor for Sale".[106][107]
In 2024, Wheeler announced a draft plan to address homelessness[108] and said he would try to ban daytime homeless camping.[109]
Wheeler lived in Southwest Portland with his wife and daughter. After his divorce, he moved into an apartment in Northwest Portland. AnEagle Scout and avid outdoorsman,[110] he summitedMount Everest in 2002.[111]
Wheeler isEpiscopalian and occasionally attends services atTrinity Episcopal Cathedral.[112]
On January 24, 2021, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Wheelerpepper-sprayed a man who confronted him and former mayorSam Adams as they left a bar in Southwest Portland. The man, identified by police as Cary Cadonau, aAlpenrose Dairy heir and Portland lawyer, was not wearing a mask and shouted at the mayor from less than 2 feet (0.61 m) away; after he refused to back off when asked to do so, Wheeler pepper-sprayed him.[113]
| Oregon Treasurer Special Democratic Primary Election, 2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Ted Wheeler (incumbent) | 216,214 | 64.91 |
| Democratic | Rick Metsger | 114,597 | 34.40 |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 2,273 | 0.68 |
| Oregon Treasurer Special Election, 2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Ted Wheeler (incumbent) | 721,795 | 52.94 |
| Republican | Chris Telfer | 571,105 | 41.89 |
| Progressive | Walter "Walt" Brown | 38,316 | 2.81 |
| Constitution | Michael Marsh | 30,489 | 2.24 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 1,738 | 0.13 |
| Oregon Treasurer Election, 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Ted Wheeler (incumbent) | 955,213 | 57.84 |
| Republican | Tom Cox | 609,989 | 36.93 |
| Progressive | Cameron Whitten | 38,762 | 2.35 |
| Libertarian | John Mahler | 30,002 | 1.82 |
| Constitution | Michael Paul Marsh | 15,415 | 0.93 |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 2,181 | 0.13 |
| Portland, Oregon Mayoral Primary Election, 2016[114] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Ted Wheeler | 105,562 | 54.67 | |
| Jules Bailey | 31,955 | 16.55 | |
| Sarah Iannarone | 22,831 | 11.82 | |
| Bruce Broussard | 7,465 | 3.69 | |
| Sean Davis | 5,217 | 2.70 | |
| David Schor | 5,083 | 2.63 | |
| Jessie Sponberg | 3,235 | 1.68 | |
| Bim Ditson | 2,467 | 1.28 | |
| Patty Burkett | 2,346 | 1.22 | |
| David Ackerman | 2,255 | 1.17 | |
| Deborah Harris | 1,636 | 0.85 | |
| Lew Humble | 748 | 0.39 | |
| Trevor Manning | 480 | 0.25 | |
| Steven J. Entwisle Sr. | 405 | 0.21 | |
| Eric Calhoun | 358 | 0.19 | |
| Write-ins | 1,040 | 0.54 | |
as the child of a recovering alcoholic
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Chants of "Fuck Ted Wheeler" were interspersed all night with "Black Lives Matters" cheers. Many of his remarks, delivered in the same stiff cadence he uses at City Council meetings, were drowned out by boos and insults. As Wheeler answered questions from protest leaders, someone dumped munitions used by police against the crowds at his feet. A list of demands projected on the wall above his head as he spoke concluded with a call for him to resign.
My daughter was in kindergarten the same year as the shooting at Sandy Hook," Wheeler wrote. "Now that she is 11, she will be looking to you as leaders and role models. It is you, students, who are leading the way to real national change. I applaud you.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Treasurer of Oregon 2010–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Mayor of Portland 2017–2025 | Succeeded by |
