Chicago's Willie Wilson drums up support in Iowa Caucus
DES MOINES, Iowa (WLS) -- The Iowa caucuses are just one day away and all of the big-name candidates are prepping for the first official contest of the 2016 presidential race.
Among the Democratic candidates is Chicago businessman Willie Wilson.
"We keep going. We're here to stay. We're not going anywhere," Wilson said Sunday.
While fellow Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been exchanging jabs about who is the most electable to the White House, Wilson said the National Democratic Party is doing everything it can to stop him from getting traction.
"I been turned down eight different times from speaking in Iowa, that's including the debates," Wilson said.
Wilson, who is a millionaire, was the first candidate in either party with television ads in Iowa, spending hundreds of thousands of his own dollars.
"We're not accepting any money from major corporations," he said. "I'm financing this here 99.9 percent of my own money."
His staff blames the Hillary Clinton operatives for silencing and keeping Wilson off the ballot in southern states where African-American voters could be the difference.
"He will split the vote between Hillary Clinton and Dr. Willie Wilson and they don't want that," said Nina Morris, of the Wilson campaign.
However, Chicago-based political consultant Delmarie Cobb--a Clinton supporter--said the Wilson campaign's disorganization is its worst enemy:
"He did not put all of his infrastructure in place," Cobb said. "So he can't necessarily blame it on the Democratic Party."
Wilson--a one-time Louisiana cotton-picker who made a fortune in Chicago--still believes he can win primaries in southern states where the Democratic party is dominated by African-Americans.
However, Wilson admits that running for president is a lot tougher than he expected.
And for those who say Wilson's candidacy is hopeless, Wilson responds: "All my life I been running ... And so I welcome the opportunity to challenge the establishment."
