Edward Tevis "Ted" Wheeler (born August 31, 1962) is an American politician from Oregon and the current mayor of Portland, Oregon. He previously served as Oregon State Treasurer. He was appointed on March 9, 2010, to replace Ben Westlund, who died in office, and was subsequently elected to a full term in 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
In 2015, Wheeler entered the race for mayor of Portland and won the primary vote in May 2016 with greater than 50% of the vote, avoiding a runoff election in November. He was sworn in on December 30, 2016, for a term that officially began on January 1, 2017.
During his first State of the City speech, Wheeler said he was focused on "helping to create a clear direction for the future of our community," and during an interview summing up his first six months in office, Wheeler said, "I see myself very much as a transitional mayor" because he has been primarily been dealing with issues relating to population growth.
Early life and education
A sixth-generation Oregonian, Wheeler was born in Portland, Oregon, where he attended Portland Public Schools, including graduation from Lincoln High School. He received a bachelor's degree in Economics from Stanford University in 1985. He also earned an MBA from Columbia University and a masters in public policy from Harvard University. Wheeler worked for several financial services companies, including the Bank of America and Copper Mountain Trust.
Political career
In 2006, Wheeler defeated incumbent Multnomah County chair Diane Linn to become chairman of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, taking office in January 2007.
Multnomah County Commissioner
Shortly after his election as 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. Wheeler also fought to preserve social safety net programs and to protect vulnerable Oregonians from predatory financial tactics by eliminating hidden fees from state-issued debit cards
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 General Ellen Rosenblum to recover the money after firms misled investors.
Building, preserving and updating public space and infrastructure was also a critical focus during Wheeler's time as County Commissioner. Wheeler led efforts to construct new libraries in Kenton and Troutdale and also establish the new East County Courthouse construction project. In addition, Wheeler fought hard to fund the crumbling Sellwood Bridge.
Further, Wheeler led the county in becoming the first municipality in Oregon to Ban the Box, which reduces employment discrimination for residents with a criminal record.
State Treasurer
On March 7, 2010, incumbent Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund died of lung cancer. Two days later, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed Wheeler to fill Westlund's seat. Wheeler defeated fellow Democrat Rick Metsger in the Democratic primary election on May 18, 2010, and subsequently defeated Republican Chris Telfer, Progressive Walt Brown and Michael Marsh of the Constitution Party in a special election in November that determined that Wheeler would complete the rest of Westlund's term, which was set to expire in 2013. He won election to a second full term in 2012.
As Oregon Treasurer, Wheeler has practiced aggressive financial management, achieving more than $172 million in cash flow savings since 2013. Wheeler also promoted environmental stewardship as State Treasurer, committing to doubling Oregon’s investments in renewable energy resources by January 2020, and double them again by 2030, while also pledging not to pursue new investments in coal. In addition, Wheeler also promoted the use of ESG (Environmental Social Governance) for all state investments to improve long-term performance, while also urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to institute tougher reviews of carbon asset risk disclosures from 45 major corporations.
Wheeler also was the chair of the Oregon Retirement Savings Task Force, working to help all Portland residents save for retirement and also grew Oregon's pension fund to more than $72 billion today, one of the five strongest state pension funds in the United States.
Portland mayoral campaign
Wheeler launched a run for Mayor on October 14, 2015.
Wheeler has campaigned on addressing income inequality and ensuring government accountability. During his announcement speech, Wheeler promised to build a government that worked "for every person."
"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."
In October 2015, former Mayors of Portland Vera Katz, Tom Potter, and Sam Adams endorsed Wheeler for the office. Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis endorsed Wheeler, as did State Representatives Lew Frederick and Tobias Read and former State Senators Ron Cease, Jane Cease, and Avel Gordly, as well as 2012 mayoral candidate Eileen Brady.
Wheeler has also been endorsed by several groups including Basic Rights Oregon, the Portland Business Alliance, and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council.
On May 17, Wheeler garnered more than 50% of the vote in the primary election, winning the race and avoiding a runoff in November.
Mayoral tenure
Wheeler was sworn in on December 30, 2016, for a term that officially began on January 1, 2017. 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 the Portland Police Bureau, the Portland Development Commission, and the Portland Housing Bureau, among others. He has stated that he intends to revisit the initial assignments during the annual budget process in April and may change some assignments.
Political positions
Abortion
Wheeler is pro-choice and advocates for access to reproductive healthcare. Ted and Katrina Wheeler were honorary chairs for Planned Parenthood's 50th Anniversary Gala. Wheeler has actively donated and raised funds for Planned Parenthood.
Education
As Treasurer, Wheeler relaunched the Oregon College Savings Program, which reached a record $2.3 billion in January 2015. The 529 savings plan allows money saved for college to grow tax free, and gives the donor a deduction on their taxable income.
Environmental issues
Ted Wheeler is a proponent of increasing Oregon's investments in renewable energy funds. He commissioned a study to determine whether or not Oregon can replace fossil fuel companies in its fixed income portfolio. Wheeler does not support new coal investments. He supported the City of Portland's ban on expanding fossil fuel infrastructure.
Freedom of speech
Wheeler has stated that "hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment.â€
Gun control
Wheeler advocates for increased gun control, and supports requiring rigorous background checks for people aspiring to own guns.
LGBT rights
Wheeler and his wife Katrina are involved with Basic Rights Oregon, with Wheeler winning their Fighting Spirit Award in 2008 following his executive order in 2007 which enacted full healthcare benefits for transgender workers, and has been endorsed by that organization. He supports same-sex marriage and signed and supported the 2013 Oregon United for Marriage initiative, which advocated for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Oregon.
Public safety
Wheeler supports abolition of a provision in the Portland Police Association's contract that has been coined the "48 hour rule." The provision gives officers who have employed deadly force a 48-hour buffer before they are required to answer questions.
Personal life
Wheeler lives in Southwest Portland with his wife and daughter. An Eagle Scout and avid outdoorsman, he summited Mount Everest in 2002. He has snowshoed to the North Pole and competed in Ironman triathlons. Wheeler started his first day in office by commuting to City Hall via bicycle.
Electoral history
See also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
References
External links
- Campaign website
