Two days after kicking off his presidential campaign, Chicago businessman Willie Wilson made his first official campaign stop in Davenport.
Wilson met with Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, several local ministers, and around two dozen people at the Third Missionary Baptist Church in Davenport.
Wilson is running as a Democrat. Most recently he ran for Mayor of Chicago, winning just over ten percent of the vote. He was criticized for a lack of experience and unclear platform.
The owner of a $60 million medical supplies company, Wilson says he is the American dream. He shared his stories of picking cotton as a kid. Eventually, he went ran away as a teenager. After only receiving a seventh grade education, Wilson went on to own several McDonald's franchises in the Chicago area. He also runs a gospel music show that airs across the country.
Wilson says he is focusing on economic development, education, and public safety.
"Why should we be spending like 13 or so billion dollars a day, wars overseas, a religion war, when here at home, we don't give kids a free education at college?" he said.
Wilson plans to make several more stops in Davenport in the next few months.