| Roger Williams | |
|---|---|
| 105th Secretary of State of Texas | |
| In office January, 2005 – July 1, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Geoff Connor |
| Succeeded by | Phil Wilson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 (age 62–63) Texas, USA |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Politician |
John Roger Williams (born 1949) is the former Secretary of State of Texas, having served from November 2004 until his resignation effective July 1, 2007.
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Williams was raised in Fort Worth. He was a star baseball player for Texas Christian University (TCU) from 1968–1971 and attempted to play professionally with the Atlanta Braves farm team. He returned to Texas to coach TCU's baseball team before he embarked on a career in business and public affairs. Williams joined his father in a family automobile dealership founded in 1939.
Williams is a trustee of TCU and the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University in College Station. Williams was appointed by Governor Perry to the Texas Motor Vehicle Board and by former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff to the Special Committee on State Employee Compensation and Benefits.
Williams was the fourth secretary of state to have served under appointment from Perry. The others were now U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar of Laredo (January – October 2001), Gwyn Clarkston Shea (2002–2003), a former member of the Texas House of Representatives from Irving in Dallas County, Geoff Connor (2003–2004), a native of Runnels County in central Texas, and the current secretary of state, Hope Andrade of San Antonio.
As secretary of state, Williams served as Chief Elections Officer for Texas, assisted county election officials and ensured the uniform application and interpretation of election laws through the state. He oversaw the state’s efforts to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act.
Williams worked to promote economic development, investment, and job creation in Texas. He was also Perry's chief liaison to Mexico and the Border Region of Texas. In this capacity, he worked with Mexican federal, state, and local officials on common issues.
As the overseer and director of Texas elections, Williams's office was in the spotlight during the 2006 Texas governor's race. Independent candidate Richard Friedman (commonly known as "Kinky") successfully lobbied to have the name "Kinky" placed on the election ballot. Another Independent candidate, Carole K. Strayhorn, sought to have the name "Grandma" placed on the ballot next to her name. (Strayhorn's campaign slogan was "one tough grandma".) Strayhorn's request was denied. Friedman and Strayhorn finished third and fourth, respectively, in the election, behind Democrat Chris Bell and the winner, incumbent Republican Perry.
Williams announced on June 11, 2007, that he would leave the appointed position to "pursue other opportunities".
On July 16, 2007, Williams was named chairman of the Texas Republican Victory 2008 Coordinated Campaign, which assists candidates up and down the general election ballot.[1] Republicans again won all statewide office in 2008 and gained a seat in the United States House of Representatives but lost four seats in the Texas House of Representatives and county offices in populous Harris County.
Late in 2008, Williams formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for the United States Senate seat held by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison of Dallas, who had formed her own committee to consider a 2010 race for governor of Texas. Williams also considered a run for Senate in 2012.[2]
In June 2011, Williams announced that he was dropping his Senate bid and would instead run for Congress from Texas's newly-created 33rd District.[2]
Williams and his wife, Patty, live in Weatherford, the seat of Parker County west of Fort Worth, and have two daughters who were attending TCU in 2007. He owns an automobile dealership in Weatherford. He goes to University Christian Church in Fort Worth TX.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Geoff Connor |
Secretary of State of Texas John Roger Williams 2004–2007 |
Succeeded by Samuel Philip "Phil" Wilson |