{{short description|Liberian-born American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Wilmot Collins | image = Wilmot Collins Interviewed by VOA in 2017 (cropped).jpg | office = 40th Mayor of Helena | term_start = January 2, 2018 | term_end = January 5, 2026 | predecessor = James Smith | successor = Emily Dean | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|10|15}} | birth_place = Monrovia, Liberia | death_date = | death_place = | party = Independent (before 2019)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/helena-mayor-wilmot-collins-considering-a-run-for-statewide-or/article_ac5ee512-f977-555f-b1a7-1b0b87459c24.html |title=Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins considering a run for statewide or federal office |last1=Plank |first1=Thomas |last2=Michels |first2=Holly |date=March 20, 2019 |work=Missoulian |access-date=May 9, 2019 |quote=Collins declined to say whether he would run as a Republican or Democrat, adding "I'm exploring as an American."}}</ref><br>Democratic (2019–present) | spouse = {{marriage|Maddie Muna|1991}} | children = 2 | education = University of Liberia (BA)<br>Troy University (MS) | caption = Collins in 2018 }} '''Wilmot Collins''' (born October 15, 1963) is an American politician and former mayor of Helena, Montana.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://helenair.com/news/local/mayor-elect-wilmot-collins-keeps-focus-on-helena-as-election/article_052ef085-009c-5435-89ba-df4d34b93720.html|title=Mayor-elect Wilmot Collins keeps focus on Helena as election gets national buzz|last=Plank|first=Thomas|work=Helena Independent Record|access-date=2017-11-09|language=en}}</ref> He defeated four-term incumbent mayor James E. Smith in the 2017 mayoral election on November 7, 2017, with 51% of the vote. This victory made him the first person of color to be elected the mayor of any city in the history of Montana since statehood was achieved in 1889.<ref name=nydn>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/liberian-american-candidate-black-mayor-montana-article-1.3619163|title=Liberian-American candidate becomes first Black mayor in Montana|date=2017-11-08|work=NY Daily News|access-date=2017-11-09|language=en}}</ref>{{notetag|In 1873, pre-statehood Montana elected the first Black mayor of any city in the territory of Montana with the election of E. T. Johnson, a Black barber from Washington, D.C. Johnson's victory occurred before Montana had become a state or Helena had been officially incorporated as a city.<ref name=guardian>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/09/montana-first-black-mayor-wilmot-collins|title=Montana's first African-American mayor, once a refugee, says US offered 'second chance'|last=McLaughlin|first=Kathleen|date=2017-11-09|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-11-09|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://helenair.com/news/local/will-helena-s-wilmot-collins-be-montana-s-first-black/article_aeb6ff03-98f2-56c3-b8c3-3aec7de62af5.html|date=2017-11-08|title=Will Helena's Wilmot Collins be Montana's first black mayor? Not exactly, historians say|work=Helena Independent Record|access-date=2017-11-09|language=en}}</ref>}} Born in Liberia, he came to the United States as a refugee during the First Liberian Civil War.
==Early life and background== Collins fled his native Liberia for Helena in 1994 as a refugee from the First Liberian Civil War.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kxlh.com/story/31467672/resettled-liberian-civil-war-refugee-shares-experiences-at-missoula-forum|title=Resettled Liberian Civil War refugee shares experiences at Missoula forum|last=Fisher|first=Don|date=2016-03-14|website=KXLH|access-date=2017-11-09|language=en|archive-date=2017-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110061530/http://www.kxlh.com/story/31467672/resettled-liberian-civil-war-refugee-shares-experiences-at-missoula-forum|url-status=dead}}</ref> He had petitioned for refugee status to join his wife, who had moved to Montana two years before he did.<ref name="guardian" /> He subsequently became a United States citizen in 2002, and worked for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, specializing in child protection.<ref name="nydn" />
For over two decades, he was a member of the United States Navy Reserve. Collins has two children with his wife, their daughter, Jaymie and their son, Bliss. Wilmot Collins is first cousins with Helene Cooper, Pentagon correspondent for ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/us/politics/democrats-women-minorities.html|title=A Year After Trump, Women and Minorities Give Groundbreaking Wins to Democrats|last1=Tackett|first1=Michael|date=2017-11-08|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-11-09|last2=Gabriel|first2=Trip|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Eligon|first3=John}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/wilmot-collins-a-liberian-american-elected-helena-city-mayor/ |title=Liberian-American Elected Montana's 'First Black Mayor' |last=Dopoe |first=Robin |date=2017-11-09 |work=Liberian Observer |access-date=2018-01-15 |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418173254/https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/wilmot-collins-a-liberian-american-elected-helena-city-mayor/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Political career == thumb|left|300px | Video from Voice of America News pursuant to Collins' election in 2017.On May 13, 2019, Collins announced his candidacy for United States Senate as a Democrat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=michael.woodel@helenair.com |first=MICHAEL WOODEL |title=Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins announces 2020 bid for US Senate On March 29th, 2021, Collins announced his intent to seek re-election as Mayor of Helena. In his announcement, Collins listed climate friendly policies for the city, affordable housing, and funding of essential services as some of his core accomplishments during his first time. |url=https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/helena-mayor-wilmot-collins-announces-2020-bid-for-us-senate/article_5bb618f2-0f3a-5f96-91ab-5c7354d503f8.html |access-date=2020-06-11 |website=Helena Independent Record |date=13 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref> He dropped out to endorse governor Steve Bullock on March 9, 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akela |first=Lacy |title=LIBERIAN REFUGEE WILMOT COLLINS, MAYOR OF HELENA, LAUNCHES BID FOR MONTANA SENATE SEAT |language=en |work=The Intercept |url=https://theintercept.com/2019/05/13/wilmot-collins-montana-mayor-senate/ |access-date=2019-05-13}}</ref>
On March 29, 2021, Collins announced his intent to seek re-election as mayor of Helena. In his announcement, Collins listed climate friendly policies for the city, affordable housing and funding of essential services as his core accomplishments during his first term.
Collins won re-election as mayor of Helena on November 2, 2021. He defeated his opponent, Sonda Gaub with 67% of the vote, making him the first black person to win re-election for any office in the state of Montana.
In 2021, Collins spoke in support of resettling Afghan refugees amid the 2021 Taliban offensive on Twitter, stating:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-16 |title=Gianforte, Rosendale split on Afghan resettlement in Montana |url=https://montanafreepress.org/2021/09/16/montana-politicians-respond-to-afghan-resettlement/ |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=Montana Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref> <blockquote>"This former refugee cannot wait to welcome them to Montana. Hopefully they’ll get involved in our communities and enrich our lives with their experiences and culture. Who knows, maybe one day some of them will even run for office!" </blockquote>
==See also== * List of mayors of Helena, Montana
==Notes== {{notefoot}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.helenamt.gov/commission/mayor-and-commissioners/mayor-collins.html Mayor Wilmot J. Collins at helenamt.gov] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711195723/https://www.helenamt.gov/commission/mayor-and-commissioners/mayor-collins.html |date=2019-07-11 }}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=James Smith}} {{s-ttl|title=Mayor of Helena|years=2018–2026}} {{s-aft|after=Emily Dean}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Wilmot}} Category:1963 births Category:21st-century mayors of places in Montana Category:African-American mayors in Montana Category:American politicians of Liberian descent Category:Americo-Liberian people Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States Senate elections Category:Liberian refugees Category:Living people Category:Mayors of places in Montana Category:Montana Democrats Category:People of Americo-Liberian descent Category:Politicians from Helena, Montana Category:Politicians from Monrovia Category:Refugees in the United States Category:Troy University alumni Category:United States Navy reservists Category:University of Liberia alumni