Bart Williams (politician)
Bart Williams | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Mississippi Senate from the 15th district | |
| Assumed office October 28, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Gary Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bart Williams October 26, 1966 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Mississippi State University |
| Occupation | Businessman, politician |
Bart Williams (born October 26, 1966) is an American politician, serving in the Mississippi State Senate from the 15th district since 2020.
Early life and education
[edit]Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Harding Academy.[1] He graduated from Mississippi State University.[1]
Career
[edit]Initially an engineer by profession, he later delved into the security industry part time in 1993, founding a business Security Solutions and Communications, Inc.[2] He began working fulltime in 1998.[2] In 2009, Williams was elected secretary of the Mississippi Alarm Association, which he states, "started the path that brought me to running for Senate."[2]
After former, longtime State Senator Gary Jackson retired due to health concerns, Williams ran for election to fill the seat, where he had to compete against four other main candidates.[3] His campaign emphasized "proper funding for our schools", defending "our second amendment rights", and economic growth for small communities.[3] In the general election, he received 33.6% of the vote, while the other three main candidates received between 13.9% and 27.9%.[4] The race went to a special election, where Williams received 53.6% of the vote over contender Joyce Yates, who got 46.4% of the vote.[5] Williams assumed office on October 28, 2020, and is a Republican.
In the Senate, for the 2021 legislative session, Williams was assigned the Vice-Chair for the Technology committee and is a member of the following committees: Appropriations, Constitution, County Affairs, Drug Policy, Investigate State Offices, Labor, and Universities and Colleges.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Williams is married with two children and is of Methodist faith.[1] He is an active member of the Rotary Club and is an Ambassador for the Starkville Partnership.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Bart Williams". billstatus.ls.state.ms.us. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ a b c "Bart Williams takes Mississippi State Senate". ESA. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ a b Bedillion, Caleb (2020-08-16). "Four candidates in state Senate special election". Daily Journal. Archived from the original on 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ Vrbin, Tess; Smith, Slim (2020-09-23). "Williams, Yates earn spots in runoff for state Senate seat". The Commercial Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ Yu, Yue; Vrbin, Tess (2020-10-14). "Wright wins House District 37 seat by large margin; Williams wins District 15 Senate runoff". The Commercial Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ "Senate Committees". Mississippi Legislature. Retrieved 2021-01-19.