Tommie Williams

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 Senate
from the 19th district
In office
January 1999 – January 2017
Preceded byEdward Boshears
Succeeded byBlake Tillery
Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore
In office
January 12, 2009 – January 12, 2013
Preceded byEric Johnson
Succeeded byDavid Shafer
Georgia Senate Majority Leader
In office
2005 – January 12, 2009
Preceded byBill Stephens
Succeeded byChip Rogers
Personal details
Political partyGeorgia Republican Party
SpouseStephanie
Children3
ResidenceLyons, Georgia
Alma materUniversity of Georgia
OccupationFarmer, businessman, politician
CommitteesAgriculture and Consumer Affairs Appropriations

Biography

Tommie Williams began his career as an onion farmer in Toombs county, was a public school teacher, and is currently a tree farmer.

He received a bachelor's degree at the University of Georgia, and a master's degree in education at Georgia Southern University.[1]

Senate career

Williams 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

1998
Georgia Senate District 6 Primary Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 5,189 48.6
Republican Willou Smith 3,017 28.2
Republican Ed Boshears 2,481 23.2
Georgia Senate District 6 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 20,622 65.5
Democratic Kathy Keith 10,838 34.5

2000
Georgia Senate District 6 General Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 30,683 72.9
Democratic Eric Wilson 11,426 27.1

2002
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 20,580 65.0
Democratic Van Streat Jr. 11,060 35.0

2004
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 27,695 62.7
Democratic Hugh McCullough 16,449 37.3

2006
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 23,938 100.0

2008
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 39,766 100.0

2010
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 26,774 100.0

2012
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 41,457 100.0

2014
Georgia Senate District 19 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tommie Williams 27,053 100.0

References
  1. "Meet Tommie - Bio". tommiewilliams.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  2. "Senate District Map". legis.ga.gov. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  3. "Senator Williams Elected President Pro Tem". Southeast Georgia Today. January 12, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  4. "Georgia Sen. Tommie Williams retiring". WTOC 11. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  5. "Secretary Perdue Announces New Senior Leaders at USDA". USDA. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. "Senator Tommie Williams Official Page". senate.ga.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  7. Galloway, Jim (August 30, 2011). "Tommie Williams says no to a run against John Barrow". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  8. "Sen Williams Endorses Gingrich". Southeast Georgia Today. December 14, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  9. "Senator Williams' Letter to the Senate". Southeast Georgia Today. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
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