MARK SCHUMANN

Perennial candidate and regular contributor to public comment time, Charlie Wilson, was quoted in a press report saying he is done fighting for the power sale and, according to the report, is also done with local politics. In his seventh bid for elective office, Wilson came in fifth out of a field of seven candidates competing for three open seats on the Vero Beach City Council.

“At least I am done,” Wilson said, indicating that his political ambitions are at an end. “I have spent 10 percent of my life working on the sale of the electric utility and that is enough. Now, I don’t have to go down and argue with the City Council anymore.”

The promise to stay on the sidelines is not a new one for Wilson. In an Aug. 25, 2010 TCPalm article reporter Henry Stephens wrote, “After spending much of the decade losing political bids, and getting ousted when he did win, Charlie Wilson says he’s quitting the campaign game.”

Wilson’s previous runs for office:

In 1988 he ran for and lost a state house race.

In 1992 he ran for St. Lucie County tax collector, losing that race to Dorothy Conrad.

In 2004 he ran for a seat on the Hospital District Board of Trustees and lost. Scripps editorial page editor Larry Reisman wrote, “Charlie was the Brian Heady of the Indian River County Hospital District, complaining about the way things were done at the entity before running for a seat there.”

In 2008, Wilson ran for Indian River County School Board but lost to Claudia Jimenez. Around that time (“In close proximity” according to a newspaper account) he was also acting as a consultant for Imagine Charter Schools.

In 2009 He was most successful in his criticism of Vero Electric and advocated the sale to FPL. That success led to his running for Vero Beach City Council and winning with the largest vote total. His success was short-lived however, when Circuit Judge Paul Kanarek removed him from office for failing to meet the city residency requirements.

In 2010 Wilson ran for a seat on the County Commission. During his campaign, Wilson’s son was arrested for signing false petition forms on behalf of his father. The senior Wilson denied any knowledge of the wrongdoing. He lost in the primary to incumbent Joe Flescher.