She Runs Illinois 2020! — Ann M. Williams, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 11
She Votes Illinois is pleased to feature Ann M. Williams, incumbent, running for IL House of Representatives, District 11. Follow our series, She Runs Illinois 2020!, leading up to election day as we showcase and uplift the voices of Illinois women running for public office in the upcoming election.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Ann Williams, and I’m currently serving as the State Representative for the 11th District in the Illinois General Assembly. I am in my 5th term, and serve as the Chair of the Energy & Environment committee as well as Vice Chair of the Judiciary — Civil committee. I have always been interested in government and politics. In high school, I served as a legislative page in the Iowa House of Representatives. It was an amazing experience; I loved meeting the people and observing the process and continued to stay politically involved throughout college and into law school. When I settled in Chicago after graduating from law school, I got involved politically with a group of “young Democrats” via an organization called Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century. (Interestingly the founder of the group was none other than now-Governor JB Pritzker!) Senate President Don Harmon was also a member when I was, along with several other elected officials currently serving in office and in advocacy and policymaking roles throughout Illinois. Fast forward…after holding several staff positions and staying politically active in Chicago, the seat I currently hold opened up when the incumbent ran for a different office. My politically-active friends and I were not satisfied that either of the men who announced as candidates were the right fit for the district, so we decided I would run. I was not the frontrunner, nor the machine candidate, and was not supported by the “powers that be” — but I won through a combination of hard work and support from my friends, family and a great group of supporters I met on the campaign trail who are friends and allies to this day.
Tell us about the women in your life
My primary motivation for running for office was to make a difference in the lives of women — to focus on issues important to women and work toward true equality and equal opportunity. Being a feminist is my foundation, politically and personally. After almost 10 years in office and more than 25 years working in government and politics, it’s so very clear to me that we have such a long way to go. We are far from equal in terms of representation, treatment in the workplace and holding leadership roles. People still view “leadership” in a male construct, which presents constant challenges for women holding or seeking leadership roles. I am working to change that.
My career highlights are women-centric; fighting for the ERA in Iowa in my 20s (I stood in the pouring rain wearing an ERA sandwich board), working as a legal advocate for survivors of domestic violence after law school, writing and sponsoring a bill to require the teaching of comprehensive consent as part of sex ed, voting for the ERA while serving in the Illinois House, and the passage of the Reproductive Health Act just last year. I was one of the founding members of the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus.
One of the most rewarding and meaningful parts of my job is mentoring and working with young people. I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful and talented young people in the political and governmental world, including some amazing young women, and wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love to watch them succeed and excel — and at the end of the day I have learned just as much from them as they have from me.
I have been lucky to have many wonderful role models in my life, including many colleagues and others working in and around Illinois politics. On the national scale, I continue to be inspired by Gloria Steinem and have been since my 20s. I finally got a photo with her a few years ago after a Personal PAC event. I look at the photo and laugh, because I am so starry eyed!
What led you into politics? Why are you running for THIS office?
Since my early days as a high school page in the Iowa House of Representatives, I have been drawn to and fascinated by the operation of democracy…by the personalities, the politics and often unwieldy process that is necessary to move good (and sometimes not so good) policies forward. It’s challenging, difficult, sometimes ugly, rough and tumble, yet so incredibly impactful as the channel through which policies can be advanced which can change lives and as a result, change our society and our world. I am running for reelection and hope to continue to have the honor of serving in the Illinois House because there is so much more to do, including ensuring that the next generation of leaders in the Illinois House and within the Illinois Democratic Party are women.
How will you help ensure equitable access to healthcare for people in Black and Brown communities that are hardest hit by the coronavirus?
The incredible disparities that COVID has exposed in terms of healthcare are devastating but should not be surprising. The communities disproportionately impacted by COVID — including black and brown communities — are the same communities that have long been exposed to significant levels of pollution, have the least access to quality education, and are the communities most likely to experience gun violence, among other things. Chronic disinvestment in these neighborhoods, the lack of opportunity, housing instability and systemic racism in the criminal justice system are just some of the reasons why. We need to look at these issues holistically and address the challenges as part of a bigger problem in this country which starts and ends with significant institutional inequity. In the short term, we need to identify and address the inequities and ensure these communities have the resources to manage this crisis. But in the long term, this will only be a band aid unless we truly acknowledge the foundational issues which have led us to where we are today.
Have you participated in any BLM protests? What influenced your decision?
Like so many, I felt outrage, anger and sadness at the senseless killing of George Floyd — and the many others before him — at the hands of law enforcement. And now again, with the shooting of Jacob Blake. I joined community members this summer for a powerful march in my own neighborhood and was moved to see people from all over Chicago coming together to say, unequivocally, that black lives matter. Since then, I have had numerous conversations — both formal and informal — with colleagues, friends, neighbors and others about the significance of where we are as a country and how we can move forward and make change.
Years of racial injustice, neglected communities and a lack of accountability for abuses in our criminal justice system have brought our communities to the breaking point. As we work to heal the deep divisions among us and repair and restore our broken communities, I will be looking to our black leaders — starting with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus — for guidance and direction as to legislative steps which can be taken now to address racial inequity, including further action in the area of criminal justice reform, police accountability and economic empowerment.
How will you ensure that women and femmes sitting at intersections of oppression are prioritized for policy that will help their quality of life?
In addition to the systemic inequities in our criminal justice system, the impact of decades of chronic disinvestment in black and brown communities has been illuminated and amplified both with regard to economic inequity and the massive public health disparities we are watching play out due to COVID-19. Of course, as always, women are impacted most significantly — with women of color experiencing this at an even higher level.
All these issues are intertwined, and in order to achieve long term and lasting change, they must be addressed in a systemic way. In order to move forward, we need to be willing to listen and learn. I believe women are uniquely situated to do just that. Many people, me included, have been having conversations about race on a different and deeper level than ever before, including how systemic racism has impacted women of color in ways that others simply cannot understand. It is critical this dialogue continues, as these issues cannot be addressed via legislation alone — as one of my colleagues said recently, change can only happen if people open their hearts and minds to the possibilities. I think women are the best equipped to lead the way.
What do you wish you had known before you decided to run for office?
I don’t think I realized how all-encompassing the job can be, if you do it right. This is really a double-edged sword. On one hand, as a legislator, every problem becomes your problem. Every news story, every issue you hear about impacting your community, are things you ultimately feel responsibility for. You feel it all the time, not just from 9 to 5. You are never off duty or done working. The responsibility is always there. As a representative of the community, the community’s problems — collectively and individually — are yours to solve, or at least try to address in some way. On the other hand, it feels good to have purpose and be in a position to help people when you can. While we cannot solve every problem and address every issue, especially as of late, it’s also important to be there as a sounding board and hopefully people will feel their voices are heard. That’s really what it’s all about.
Closing comments
Governing is not something you can do successfully without collaboration and partnership, both with your colleagues and others serving in office and with organizations, advocacy groups and grassroots and community leaders. I am grateful for the leadership of SheVotesIL in ensuring that women’s voices are heard and will make an impact in November and every election to follow, at all levels of government. With that, I have hope in the future of our community, state and nation.
If you would like to learn more about Ann M. Williams and her platform or volunteer for her campaign, please check out her website at voteannwilliams.com. Don’t forget to follow her on social media at @voteannwilliams. Reach out today and help make a difference in the upcoming 2020 election.
(The information contained in this post is provided only as general information and does not imply an endorsement by She Votes Illinois.)
