Phil Williams (Alabama state representative)

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Not to be confused with Phil Williams (Alabama senator).
Phil Williams
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 6th district
In office
2009 – November 7, 2018
Preceded bySue Schmitz
Succeeded byAndy Whitt
Personal details
BornGrassy, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLisa Williams
Children1
EducationUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
ProfessionBusinessman

Phil Williams is an American politician and businessman from the state of Alabama. He served as a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives representing the 6th District, serving from 2009 to 2018.

Early life and education[edit]

Williams was born in Grassy, an unincorporated place in Marshall County, Alabama, where his family owned an 800-square-foot (74 m2) farmhouse.[1] His father was a civil servant and his mother stayed at home, raising five children, of which Phil was the fourth.[1] He graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a degree in international business.[1]

Career[edit]

In 1983, Williams was selected to work as a contract negotiator on the Strategic Defense Initiative under President Ronald Reagan after submitting a job application for the program.[1] Williams later co-founded 3D Research Corporation in 1997 alongside his wife, Lisa Williams.[2] He also co-founded Synapse Wireless and Soldier 1 Corporation in 2006 and 2008 respectively, the latter of which also had the involvement of his wife Lisa.[1][2] Williams sold two of his companies for a sizeable profit, and he and his wife became "multi-millionaires", according to the Alabama Political Reporter.[1] Williams then entered real estate investment.[3]

Williams first ran for the Alabama House of Representatives in a 2009 special election for the sixth district, after incumbent Sue Schmitz was found guilty on corruption charges. He was re-elected in 2010 and 2014 without major party opposition.[4]

A self-described fiscal conservative,[5] Williams opposed a tax on the dispensing of prescriptions when it was first passed in 2015; it was later repealed in August 2016.[6] He also pushed for increased funding towards education, especially pre-kindergarten, and helped pass the Alabama Ahead Act to fund hands-on technology in classrooms.[5]

In 2015, in the wake of Mike Hubbard's indictment on charges of corruption, Williams unsuccessfully ran for Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives.[7][8] In 2016, Williams was one of 23 state legislators to sign articles of impeachment against Governor Robert J. Bentley, who later resigned.[9][10] Williams served in the Alabama State Legislature at the same time as Senator Phil Williams, both Republicans who coincidentally shared the same name.[11] The two disagreed on HB-317, a bill exempting "economic development professionals" from requiring registration as lobbyists; Representative Williams opposed it in the Alabama House of Representatives, while Senator Williams sponsored the bill in the Alabama Senate.[12]

Williams announced in August 2017 that he would seek the Republican nomination for the Alabama Senate's second district in the 2018 election, after being encouraged to run by incumbent state Senator Bill Holtzclaw.[13] However, Williams ultimately decided not to run by January 2018 and retired from public service, as he did not run for re-election to his House seat, either.[14][15] Williams was succeeded by Andy Whitt.[16]

Personal life[edit]

Williams resides in Huntsville, Alabama, and is married to businesswoman Lisa Williams, who was named a "2020 Women of Impact" by the conservative website Yellowhammer News. The couple have one son.[2]

Electoral history[edit]

2014 Alabama House of Representatives, 6th district, general election results[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Phil Williams (incumbent) 8,323 97.2%
Write-In Write-ins 237 2.8%
Total votes 8,560 100.0%
Republican hold
2010 Alabama House of Representatives, 6th district, general election results[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Phil Williams (incumbent) 9,880 94.0%
Write-In Write-ins 308 6.0%
Total votes 10,188 100.0%
Republican hold
2009 Alabama House of Representatives, 6th district, general special election results[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Phil Williams 2,552 60.2%
Democratic Jenny Rhodes Askins 1,663 39.3%
Write-In Write-ins 22 0.5%
Total votes 4,237 100.0%
Republican gain from Democratic
2009 Alabama House of Representatives, 6th district, Republican Party primary results[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Phil Williams 838 51.9%
Republican Glenn Watson 393 24.3%
Republican Tommy Carter 331 20.5%
Republican Frank L. Prabel III 53 3.3%
Total votes 1,109 100.0%

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Britt, Bill (October 6, 2015). "Who is Rep. Phil Williams?". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Ross, Sean (September 9, 2020). "Lisa Williams is a 2020 Woman of Impact". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  3. ^ Cason, Mike (June 27, 2016). "Speaker candidate Phil Williams says Alabama ethics 'a real mess'". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "Phil Williams Announces Candidacy for State Senate". Yellowhammer News. August 23, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Parker, Gregg (September 1, 2017). "Williams to run for Holtzclaw's Senate seat". The Madison Record. Retrieved January 19, 2022.,
  6. ^ Moseley, Brandon (August 18, 2016). "House Votes to Repeal Prescription Drug Tax". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  7. ^ Lawson, Brian (January 11, 2016). "Phil Williams is bidding to replace embattled Mike Hubbard as Alabama House Speaker". WHNT. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  8. ^ "Rep. Phil Williams says he will challenge Speaker Mike Hubbard for top job". AL.com. October 1, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  9. ^ BeShears, Elizabeth (April 29, 2016). "23 Alabama legislators sign Robert Bentley articles of impeachment". Alabama Today. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Gattis, Paul (August 23, 2017). "After standing against Hubbard and Bentley, Huntsville's Phil Williams eyes state Senate". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Gattis, Paul (April 6, 2016). "Alabama Governor Robert Bentley scandal: Who are the legislators seeking impeachment?". AL.com. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  12. ^ Whitmire, Kyle (March 29, 2018). "You don't have to break the law when you make the law". AL.com. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  13. ^ Sell, Mary (August 24, 2017). "State rep to seek Senate seat representing Limestone, Madison | Limestone County". decaturdaily.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  14. ^ "Holtzclaw suspends congressional run, won't return to Senate". The News Courier. January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  15. ^ Gattis, Paul (February 15, 2018). "The top political races to watch in north Alabama". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  16. ^ Beck, Caroline (January 29, 2019). "New Member Profile: Rep. Andy Whitt". Alabama Daily News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "State of Alabama - 2014 Official General Election Results" (PDF). Alabama Secretary of State. November 24, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  18. ^ "State of Alabama - 2010 Official General Election Results" (PDF). Alabama Secretary of State. November 22, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  19. ^ "Certification of Results for July 14, 2009 Special General Election" (PDF). Alabama Secretary of State. August 12, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  20. ^ "Election Results – Republican Primary" (PDF). Alabama Secretary of State. June 8, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
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