Lindsey Williams

Williams earned a BA in political science from Dickinson College and a JD from Duquesne University School of Law.

Williams worked as director of advocacy for the National Whistleblower Center, but was laid off in 2012 after attempting to unionize the small workforce. She was offered a severance package but rejected it because of a confidentiality clause that would have prevented her from discussing her experiences. She appealed to the National Labor Relations Board, and eventually settled the case with her former employer.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/business/dealbook/whistle-blower-group-found-itself-target-of-labor-complaint.html |title=Whistle-Blower Complaint Directed at Whistle-Blower Group |first1=Matthew |last1=Goldstein |first2=Ben |last2=Protess |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 1, 2015}}

In 2014, Williams became communications director for the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. She also previously worked for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

In 2018, Williams ran against Republican nominee Jeremy Shaffer in the general election, after Shaffer had defeated incumbent Randy Vulakovich in the Republican primary.{{cite web |url=https://www.pennlive.com/expo/opinion/erry-2018/09/761087e89a4943/these-are-the-eight-pennsylvan.html |title=These are the eight Pennsylvania State Senate races you should be paying attention to right now |first=John L. |last=Micek |newspaper=The Patriot-News |date=September 18, 2018}} The race was heavily watched, and Williams received an endorsement from former U.S. President Barack Obama.{{cite web |url=https://www.wesa.fm/post/williams-gets-obama-endorsement-her-state-senate-race |title=Williams Gets Obama Endorsement In Her State Senate Race |first=Chris |last=Potter |publisher=WESA 90.5 |date=October 1, 2018}} Both campaigns raised substantial amounts of funding—Williams raised over $700,000 and Shaffer raised over $1 million, including contributing $400,000 of his own money by the start of October and another $100,000 by the end of the month.{{cite web |url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/pittsburgh-allegheny/lindsey-williams-edges-out-jeremy-shaffer-for-38th-state-senate-seat/ |title=Lindsey Williams edges out Jeremy Shaffer for 38th State Senate seat |first=Madasyn |last=Czebiniak |website=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |date=November 6, 2018}} Williams also campaigned and shared resources with other local female candidates, including Sara Innamorato.{{cite web |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2018/09/27/women-candidates-pennsylvania-2018-midterm-election-female-pittsburgh-state-house-senate-congress/stories/201809270203 |title=Women making strides in Pennsylvania politics |first=Julian |last=Routh |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=September 27, 2018}} She narrowly defeated Shaffer (50.1% to 49.7%) in the election.

Weeks before the election, Republicans in the state claimed Williams did not meet the constitutional residency requirement and attempted to remove her name from the ballot. They contended that since she voted in Maryland in the 2014 general election, she had not been a resident of Pennsylvania for at least four years as required by the state constitution. However, the effort was rejected by a court.{{cite web |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/politics-state/2018/10/24/Pennsylvania-Commonwealth-Court-dismisses-challenge-Lindsey-Williams-residency-38th-Senate-District/stories/201810240134 |title=Court dismisses challenge to Lindsey Williams' residency in state Senate race |first=Liz |last=Navratil |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=October 24, 2018}} After she won the election, state Republicans renewed their opposition and challenged her ability to be seated in the legislature.{{cite web |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/12/06/lindsey-williams-pennsylvania-state-senate/ |title=Pennsylvania Republicans, thwarted in court, are trying to deny seating the Democratic winner of an election |first=Akela |last=Lacy |website=The Intercept |date=December 6, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2018/12/10/Lindsey-Williams-gives-GOP-evidence-she-says-will-prove-when-she-moved-to-Pennsylvania/stories/201812100159 |title=Lindsey Williams gives GOP evidence she says will prove when she moved to Pennsylvania |first=Angela |last=Couloumbis |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=December 10, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2018/12/14/Lindsey-Williams-Pennsylvania-Republicans-residency/stories/201812140106 |title=Fight over Lindsey Williams' residency brings Pa. Senate into uncommon political territory |first=Liz |last=Navratil |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=December 14, 2018}} After months of controversy, the Republican leadership in the Senate decided against preventing her inauguration based on the documents produced by Williams.{{cite web |url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/pittsburgh-allegheny/senate-republicans-will-not-oppose-inauguration-of-lindsey-williams/ |title=Senate Republicans will not oppose inauguration of Lindsey Williams |first=Bob |last=Bauder |website=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |date=December 28, 2018}} She took the oath of office and was sworn in with other newly elected members on January 1, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://theincline.com/2019/01/01/no-more-drama-pittsburghs-lindsey-williams-sworn-in-as-state-senator/ |title=No more drama: Pittsburgh's Lindsey Williams sworn in as state senator |first=Sarah Anne |last=Hughes |website=The Incline |date=January 1, 2019}}

On November 8, 2022, District 38 voters reelected Williams to her second four-year term. She prevailed over Republican candidate Lori Mizgorski by a vote of 70,854 (55.8%) to 56,139 (44.2%).{{cite web |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Lindsey_Williams_(Pennsylvania) |title=Ballotpedia |date=September 2023}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senate_bio.cfm?id=1803 Official page] at the Pennsylvania General Assembly
• [https://lindseyforpa.com/ Campaign site]
• {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=179187 | fec= | congress= }}

{{Current Pennsylvania State Senators}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Lindsey}}

Category:Living people

Category:Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators

Category:1983 births

Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly

{{Pennsylvania-PASenate-stub}}