Ted Wheeler
Edward Tevis Wheeler is an American Democratic Party politician who has been the mayor of Portland, Oregon, since 2017. He was Oregon State Treasurer from 2010 to 2016.
Wheeler was elected in the 2016 Portland mayoral election and is running for reelection in 2020. Wheeler has been described as a moderate Democrat..
Early life and education
A sixth-generation Oregonian, Wheeler was born in Portland to a family with roots in the Oregon timber industry. His father, Sam Wheeler, was executive vice president at Willamette Industries, a Fortune 500 lumber company formed in 1967 by a merger of several smaller companies, including one established by the Wheeler family in 1912 in eponymous Wheeler, Oregon. He attended Portland Public Schools, graduating 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 in 1989 and a master's 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 chair 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 eliminate 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 a focus during Wheeler's time as County Commissioner. He led efforts to construct new libraries in Kenton and Troutdale and to construct the new East County Courthouse. Wheeler also fought to fund repairs for the crumbling Sellwood Bridge.
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.
State treasurer
On March 7, 2010, incumbent Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund died of lung cancer. Two days later Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed Wheeler to the office. Wheeler defeated fellow Democrat Rick Metsger in the Democratic primary election on May 18, 2010, and defeated Republican Chris Telfer, Progressive Walt Brown and Michael Marsh of the Constitution Party in the November special election for the rest of Westlund's term, which ended in 2013. He was elected to a second full term in the Oregon 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. He promoted the use of ESG 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.
Wheeler was chair of the Oregon Retirement Savings Task Force, which helps Portland residents save for retirement. It grew Oregon's pension fund to more than $72 billion, one of the country's five strongest state pension funds.
Portland mayoral campaign
Wheeler launched a run for mayor on October 14, 2015. He campaigned on addressing income inequality and ensuring government accountability. During his speech, Wheeler promised to build a government that worked "for every person."In October 2015, former Portland mayors Vera Katz, Tom Potter, and Sam Adams endorsed Wheeler. Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis also endorsed him, as did State Representatives Lew Frederick and Tobias Read, former State Senators Ron Cease, Jane Cease, and Avel Gordly, and 2012 mayoral candidate Eileen Brady. Wheeler was also endorsed by Basic Rights Oregon, the Portland Business Alliance, and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council.
On May 17 Wheeler was elected mayor by winning the first round with 54% of the vote.
Mayoral tenure
Wheeler was sworn in on December 30, 2016, for a term that began on January 1, 2017. One of his first actions was to make initial assignments of city departments 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 said he intended to reconsider the initial assignments during the annual budget process in April.In July 2018 The 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. 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.
In 2018 Wheeler was overheard saying, "I cannot wait for the next 24 months to be up." But he has also said he aspires to break the streak of one-term mayors. In early 2020, Wheeler declared he would seek reelection in 2020.
In August 2019, Wheeler requested Governor Kate Brown to keep the national guard ready to respond in anticipation of a potentially explosive stand-off between far-right groups and Antifa demonstrators. His request was denied.
George Floyd protests
On May 30, 2020, Wheeler imposed a curfew on Portland during the Black Lives Matter protests. 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 as tear gas and stun grenades, both of which were deployed on crowds of demonstrators in Portland and nationwide. On June 2, Wheeler lifted the curfew due to his perception of a "significant shift in the tenor." Wheeler also requested the deployment of the Oregon National Guard to Portland in response to protests following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd but Oregon governor Kate Brown refused.In response to the Portland Police Bureau's use of tear gas on protestors, Portland organization Don't Shoot PDX filed a class-action lawsuit against the city on June 5, 2020. Wheeler expressed concern over use of tear gas, but has not banned its use, stating:
I stand in solidarity with our nonviolent demonstrators, who are sending a strong message that we are long overdue for meaningful reform and restorative justice. Our community has serious concerns about the use of CS gas for crowd management, particularly during a time when we’re battling a pandemic. I share those concerns. Today, I directed Portland Police Chief Jami 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. I strongly believe that gas should not be used to disperse crowds of nonviolent protestors or for general crowd management purposes. It should only be used in response to violence that threatens life safety. My priority and focus are to protect the lives of demonstrators, our first responders, and the people in custody at the Justice Center.
On June 15, Wheeler called for an overhaul of Portland's police oversight system, which he said doesn't have "any real teeth."
On July 17, federal DHS agents were deployed to protect US government buildings and personnel in Portland. In a news conference, Wheeler called the deployment "counterproductive" and demanded that the troops be removed from the city.
On July 22, Wheeler joined nightly protesters outside the federal courthouse 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. Wheeler left after the first round of tear gas, after which Portland Police declared a riot.
Political positions
Abortion
Wheeler is pro-choice and advocates access to abortion. Ted and Katrina Wheeler were honorary chairs of Planned Parenthood's 50th Anniversary Gala. Wheeler has donated to 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.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.
Environmental issues
Wheeler is a proponent of increasing Oregon's investments in renewable 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. He supported the City of Portland's ban on expanding fossil fuel infrastructure.In 2018, Wheeler came out publicly against the green energy initiative that sought to train people of color for clean energy jobs and invest in green energy projects in marginalized neighborhoods in Portland, due to its taxation method. It later passed by a wide margin.
Freedom of speech
Wheeler has stated that "hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment."Gun control
Wheeler advocates for increased gun control, and supports requiring rigorous background checks for people attempting to buy guns. On March 14, 2018, he released a letter in support of The National School Walkout against gun violence. 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.LGBT rights
Wheeler and his ex-wife Katrina are involved with Basic 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. He supports same-sex marriage and signed and supported the 2013 Oregon United for Marriage initiative, which advocated the legalization of same-sex marriage in Oregon.Public safety
During his first three years as Mayor of Portland, Wheeler oversaw an increase of the police budget from $215 million to $242 million. He allows police to cover their name badges at protests. 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.Personal life
Wheeler lived in Southwest Portland with his wife and daughter. After his divorce, he moved into an apartment in Northwest Portland. An Eagle Scout and avid outdoorsman, he summited Mount Everest in 2002. Wheeler started his first day in office by commuting to City Hall via bicycle.Wheeler attends Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, which is tied to the Episcopal Church.