Whitney Williams
Whitney Williams | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 or 1971 (age 53–54) Montana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Griff Williams (brother) |
| Education | University of Montana (BA) |
Whitney Williams (born 1970/1971)[1] is an American businesswoman and political candidate. In October 2019, Williams announced her candidacy for the 2020 Montana gubernatorial election,[2][3] but she was defeated in the Democratic primary.
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.[4][5] The Washington Post has called the Williams family the "first family of Montana politics."[6]
Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montana, where she studied political science, forestry and Native American studies.[7]
Career
Williams worked in the Clinton administration, first as an intern, and then as travel director for first lady Hillary Clinton.[8] Williams later served as Washington State finance cochairman for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.[5]
In 2001, she joined Casey Family Programs and helped establish the $600 million Marguerite Casey Foundation.[5][9] Since 2003, Williams has served as founder and CEO of williamsworks, a Montana-based consultancy agency.[10] The firm has provided strategic services to nonprofit, philanthropic and corporate clients including Toms Shoes, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nike Foundation, the Wikimedia Foundation and Thorn.[8][11][12]
Williams is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[13]
Philanthropy
Williams previously served on the board of trustees for the Glacier National Park Fund as well as on the boards of directors for City Year Seattle and New Futures.[5] In 2010, Williams cofounded the Eastern Congo Initiative with Ben Affleck and serves on the board as vice chairman.[8] In 2021, she founded the Snowbird Fund, which provides financial support for Montana families who are searching for missing family members.[14]
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 incumbent lieutenant governor Mike Cooney but lost the June 2, 2020 Democratic primary with 45.14% of the vote.[17] Cooney lost the general election to former congressman Greg Gianforte.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Cooney | 81,527 | 54.86% | |
| Democratic | Whitney Williams | 67,066 | 45.14% | |
| Total votes | 148,593 | 100.00% | ||
References
- ^ Whitney Williams 2020 Election Questionnaire
- ^ "Montana Democrat Whitney Williams announces run for governor". Missoula Current. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Whitney for Montana". secure.ngpvan.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ Sally Mauk. "Congressman's daughter follows her parents into a life of public service". mtpr.org.
- ^ a b c d "Whitney Williams". williamsworks. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris. "Fix Clip -N- Save: 'First families' of politics". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "Whitney Williams". williamsworks.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ a b c Rapkin, Mickey. "When Ben Affleck Wants to Change the World, He Calls This Woman". Elle. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "Carrying on family legacy: Whitney Williams goes global". Montana Standard.
- ^ Whinney, Joe; Williams, Whitney (2013-11-11). "Seattle, Congo and the chocolate trade". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "williamsworks Clients". williamsworks. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017/People/Core team - Meta". meta.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Membership Roster". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
- ^ "Fund instituted to help Native families find missing people". AP News. Associated Press. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Volz, Matt (3 October 2019). "Williams now 4th Democrat in governor's race". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Schweitzer, Brian (17 May 2020). "Guest view: Schweitzer backs Williams for governor". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b "2020 STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION CANVASS" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "General Election - November 3, 2020". electionresults.mt.gov. Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen. Retrieved 24 March 2021.