Whitney Williams
Whitney Williams | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | 1970/1971 (age 50–51)[1] Montana, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Griff Williams (brother) |
Education | University of Montana (BA) |
Whitney Williams is an American businesswoman and political candidate. In October 2019, Williams announced her candidacy for the 2020 Montana gubernatorial election.[2][3] She was eliminated in the primaries.
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 referred to the Williams family as 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 then worked in the Clinton Administration, first as an intern, and then as Trips Director for First Lady Hillary Clinton.[8] Williams later served as Finance Co-Chair in Washington for the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign.[5] Williams is a Democrat.[9]
In 2001, she joined Casey Family Programs and helped establish the $600 million Marguerite Casey Foundation.[5][10] Since 2003, Williams has served as Founder and CEO of williamsworks, a Montana-based consultancy agency.[11] 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.[8][12][13]
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.[5] In 2010, Williams co-founded Eastern Congo Initiative with Ben Affleck and serves on the Board as Vice-Chair.[8] In 2021, Whitney founded the Snowbird Fund, which is a first of its kind fund giving direct financial support to Montana Native families conducting community searches for their missing loved ones.[14]
Politics[]
On October 3, 2019, Williams announced her candidacy for Governor of Montana in 2020, receiving an endorsement from former Governor Brian Schweitzer.[9][15]
She faced off against incumbent lieutenant governor Mike Cooney on June 2, 2020, where she lost getting 45.14% of the vote.[16] Cooney went on to lose the election to U.S. representative Greg Gianforte.[17]
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.
- ^ a b Volz, Matt (3 October 2019). "Williams now 4th Democrat in governor's race". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Carrying on family legacy: Whitney Williams goes global". Montana Standard.
- ^ Joe Whinney; Whitney Williams. "Seattle, Congo and the chocolate trade". Seattle Times. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "williamsworks Clients". williamsworks. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "Strategy/Wikimedia movement/2017/People/Core team - Meta". meta.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Fund instituted to help Native families find missing people". AP News. Associated Press. 10 February 2021. 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.
External links[]
- American philanthropists
- Businesspeople from Montana
- Women in Montana politics
- Living people
- Montana Democrats
- University of Montana alumni
- Candidates in the 2020 United States elections
- 21st-century American women