Quick Facts
Biography
Shawn D. Wilson is an American politician and transportation official who served as the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development from 2016 to 2023. Wilson unsuccessfully ran for governor of Louisiana in 2023 and came in second place to Republican Jeff Landry in a jungle primary receiving 25.9% of the vote.
Early life and career
Wilson is from New Orleans. He intended to pursue nursing but changed his path after the death of his father. In 1993, Wilson completed a bachelor's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He was president of the Student Government Association and was the student member on the University of Louisiana System board. Wilson earned both a master's degree and Ph.D. in Public Administration from Southern University. His 2015 dissertation was titled A comparative study of transportation decision making by state and locally elected officials in Louisiana. James S. Larson was Wilson's doctoral advisor.
Wilson was executive director of the Louisiana Serve Commission and served as the deputy legislative director for Governor Kathleen Blanco. In 2005, Wilson joined the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development as a confidential assistant to Secretary Johnny Bradberry. In 2007, Wilson was a candidate for Lafayette Parish Council. He lost in a runoff. Wilson served as chief of staff to state transportation secretary William Anker and Sherri LeBas. Wilson was appointed secretary by Governor John Bel Edwards, beginning his term on January 11, 2016. In 2021, Wilson was elected president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He is the first African-American to serve in the role.
2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election
In December 2022, Wilson established an exploratory committee for the 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election. On February 15, 2023, Wilson announced that he would be resigning as secretary effective March 4, 2023, which was taken as confirmation that he would run for governor.
On March 6, 2023, Wilson officially launched his campaign for Governor of Louisiana. As the only major Democratic candidate in the race, Wilson has garnered the endorsements of incumbent governor John Bel Edwards, the Louisiana Democratic Party, and former 2022 Senate candidate Gary Chambers.
Electoral history
Lafayette Parish Council
- 2007
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brandon Shelvin | 986 | 25.85% | |
| Democratic | Shawn Wilson | 718 | 18.83% | |
| Democratic | Lloyd Rochon | 586 | 15.36% | |
| Democratic | Dale J. Brasseaux | 515 | 13.50% | |
| Democratic | Amos Batiste Jr. | 513 | 13.45% | |
| Democratic | Shelton J. Cobb | 496 | 13.00% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brandon Shelvin | 1,656 | 57.34% | |
| Democratic | Shawn Wilson | 1,232 | 42.66% | |
Governor of Louisiana
- 2023
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jeff Landry | 547,827 | 51.6 | ||
| Democratic | Shawn Wilson | 275,525 | 25.9 | ||
| Republican | Stephen Waguespack | 62,287 | 5.9 | ||
| Republican | John Schroder | 56,654 | 5.3 | ||
| Independent | Hunter Lundy | 52,165 | 4.9 | ||
| Democratic | Danny Cole | 27,662 | 2.6 | ||
| Republican | Sharon Hewitt | 18,468 | 1.7 | ||
| Independent | Benjamin Barnes | 5,190 | 0.5 | ||
| Republican | Dat Barthel | 4,426 | 0.4 | ||
| Republican | Richard Nelson (withdrawn) | 3,605 | 0.3 | ||
| Independent | Jeffery Istre | 3,400 | 0.3 | ||
| Republican | Xavier Ellis | 1,734 | 0.2 | ||
| Independent | Keitron Gagnon | 1,260 | 0.1 | ||
| Republican | Xan John | 1,164 | 0.1 | ||
| Independent | Frank Scurlock | 1,131 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 1,062,498 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
Personal life
Wilson and his wife, Rocki, live in Lafayette, Louisiana. They have two children. He is a Progressive Baptist and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.