Whitney Williams

Whitney Williams is an American businesswoman and political candidate.[2] In October of 2019, Williams announced her candidacy for the 2020 Montana gubernatorial election.[3][4]

Whitney Williams
Personal details
Born1970/1971 (age 49–50)[1]
Montana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
RelativesCarol Williams (mother)
Pat Williams (father)
Griff Williams (brother)
EducationUniversity of Montana (BA)

Early life and education

Williams is a sixth-generation Montana native. She is the daughter of the former Montana Senate Majority Leader Carol Williams and former Congressman Pat Williams.[5][6] The Washington Post has referred to the Williams family as the “first family of Montana politics.”[7]

Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montana where she studied Political Science, Forestry, and Native American studies.[8]

Career

Williams then worked in the Clinton Administration, first as an intern, and then as Trips Director for First Lady Hillary Clinton.[9] Williams later served as Finance Co-Chair in Washington for the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign.[6] Williams is a Democrat.[10]

In 2001, she joined Casey Family Programs and helped establish the $600 million Marguerite Casey Foundation.[6][11] Since 2003, Williams has served as Founder and CEO of williamsworks, a Montana-based consultancy agency.[12] The firm has provided strategic services to non-profit, philanthropic, and corporate clients, including Toms Shoes, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nike Foundation, the Wikimedia Foundation, and Thorn.[9][13][14]

Williams is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Philanthropy

Williams previously served on the Board of Trustees for the Glacier National Park Fund, the Boards of Directors for City Year Seattle and New Futures.[6] In 2010, Williams co-founded Eastern Congo Initiative with Ben Affleck and serves on the Board as Vice-Chair.[9]

Politics

On October 3, 2019, Williams announced her candidacy for Governor of Montana in 2020, receiving an endorsement from former Governor Brian Schweitzer.[15][16]

She faced off against Incumbent Lt. Governor Mike Cooney on June 2, 2020, where she lost getting 45.14% of the vote.[17] Cooney went on to lose the election to U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte.[18]

Democratic primary results[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Cooney 81,527 54.86%
Democratic Whitney Williams 67,066 45.14%
Total votes 148,593 100.00%

References
  1. Whitney Williams 2020 Election Questionnaire
  2. "Contact". williamsworks.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  3. "Montana Democrat Whitney Williams announces run for governor". Missoula Current. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  4. "Whitney for Montana". secure.ngpvan.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  5. Sally Mauk. "Congressman's daughter follows her parents into a life of public service". mtpr.org.
  6. "Whitney Williams". williamsworks. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  7. Cillizza, Chris. "Fix Clip -N- Save: 'First families' of politics". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  8. "Whitney Williams". williamsworks.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  9. Rapkin, Mickey. "When Ben Affleck Wants to Change the World, He Calls This Woman". Elle. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  10. "Williams now 4th Democrat in governor's race". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  11. "Carrying on family legacy: Whitney Williams goes global". Montana Standard.
  12. Joe Whinney; Whitney Williams. "Seattle, Congo and the chocolate trade". Seattle Times. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  13. "williamsworks Clients". williamsworks. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  14. "Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017/People/Core team - Meta". meta.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  15. www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/10/03/whitney-williams-enters-montana-governors-race/3850953002/
  16. www.billingsgazette.com/opinion/columnists/guest-view-schweitzer-backs-williams-for-governor/article_88e89e53-69eb-52c9-b558-82648a56ab5a.amp.html
  17. sosmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020PrimaryReportStateCanvass.pdf
  18. electionresults.mt.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=STATE&map=CTY
  19. "2020 STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION CANVASS" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
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