Tommie Williams is an American politician from the state of Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party and was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 1998. Williams represented the 19th district, which encompassed Appling, Jeff Davis, Long, Montgomery, Toombs, Wayne, Wheeler, and parts of Liberty and Tattnall Counties.[1][2] He was selected as Senate Majority Leader in 2005, and was voted President Pro Tempore of the Senate in 2009.[3] Williams announced his retirement in March 2016, and did not seek re-election.[4] In 2018, he was appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to be Minister-Counselor for Agriculture at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, Italy.[5]
Tommie Williams | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 19th district | |
| In office January 1999 – January 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Boshears |
| Succeeded by | Blake Tillery |
| President pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate | |
| In office January 12, 2009 – January 12, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Eric Johnson |
| Succeeded by | David Shafer |
| Majority Leader of the Georgia State Senate | |
| In office 2005 – January 12, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Stephens |
| Succeeded by | Chip Rogers |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Georgia Republican Party |
| Spouse | Stephanie |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Lyons, Georgia |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia |
| Occupation | Farmer, businessman, politician |
| Committees | Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Appropriations |
Biography
editTommie Andrew Williams is the son of Jack Warren "Coogan' and Lluuana Thompson Williams. He began his career as an onion farmer in Toombs county, was a public school teacher, and is currently a tree farmer.
Tommie received a bachelor's degree at the University of Georgia, and a master's degree in education at Georgia Southern University.[1]
Senate career
editWilliams was first elected to the State Senate in 1998, after winning a three-way primary. Beginning in 2006, he had had no primary challengers until his retirement in 2017.[4]
In 2005, Williams was chosen as Senate Majority Leader. He served in that role until 2009, when he was voted President Pro Tempore, the second highest position in the Senate, behind Lieutenant Governor. He was also Chairman of the Administrative Affairs Committee from 2009 to 2013.[6]
In August 2011, Senator Williams was asked by members of the press if he was interested in running against U.S.Congressman John Barrow, in whose district he resides. Williams indicated that it did interest him, however, he would still be running for re-election to his Senate seat.[7]
Senator Williams endorsed Newt Gingrich for president in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries.[8]
On June 4, 2012, Senator Williams sent an open letter to the Senate Republican Caucus and to members of the press in which he stated his intentions to forgo seeking re-election for the position of President Pro Tempore. His reasons included spending more time with his family, as inspired by the movie Courageous, and his belief that leadership positions should be rotated or term-limited.[9]
Election history
edit1998
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 5,189 | 48.6 | ||
| Republican | Willou Smith | 3,017 | 28.2 | ||
| Republican | Ed Boshears | 2,481 | 23.2 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 20,622 | 65.5 | ||
| Democratic | Kathy Keith | 10,838 | 34.5 | ||
2000
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 30,683 | 72.9 | ||
| Democratic | Eric Wilson | 11,426 | 27.1 | ||
2002
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 20,580 | 65.0 | ||
| Democratic | Van Streat Jr. | 11,060 | 35.0 | ||
2004
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 27,695 | 62.7 | ||
| Democratic | Hugh McCullough | 16,449 | 37.3 | ||
2006
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 23,938 | 100.0 | ||
2008
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 39,766 | 100.0 | ||
2010
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 26,774 | 100.0 | ||
2012
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 41,457 | 100.0 | ||
2014
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tommie Williams | 27,053 | 100.0 | ||
References
edit- ^ a b "Meet Tommie - Bio". tommiewilliams.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Senate District Map". legis.ga.gov. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Senator Williams Elected President Pro Tem". Southeast Georgia Today. January 12, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "Georgia Sen. Tommie Williams retiring". WTOC 11. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Secretary Perdue Announces New Senior Leaders at USDA". USDA. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ "Senator Tommie Williams Official Page". senate.ga.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- ^ Galloway, Jim (August 30, 2011). "Tommie Williams says no to a run against John Barrow". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ "Sen Williams Endorses Gingrich". Southeast Georgia Today. December 14, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Senator Williams' Letter to the Senate". Southeast Georgia Today. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
