| Wayne Williams | |
| Office: | Member of the Colorado Springs City Council from the at-large district |
| Term Start: | April 16, 2019 |
| Term End: | April 18, 2023 |
| Predecessor: | Merv Bennett |
| Successor: | Lynette Crow Iverson |
| Office1: | 38th Secretary of State of Colorado |
| Governor1: | John Hickenlooper |
| Term Start1: | January 13, 2015 |
| Term End1: | January 8, 2019 |
| Predecessor1: | Scott Gessler |
| Successor1: | Jena Griswold |
| Office2: | Clerk and Recorder of El Paso County, Colorado |
| Term Start2: | 2011 |
| Term End2: | 2015 |
| Predecessor2: | Robert Balink |
| Successor2: | Chuck Broerman |
| Office3: | Member of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners from the 1st district |
| Term Start3: | 2003 |
| Term End3: | 2011 |
| Successor3: | Darryl Glenn |
| Birth Name: | Wayne Warren Williams |
| Birth Date: | 19 January 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Holly Williams |
| Children: | 4 |
| Education: | Brigham Young University (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
Wayne Warren Williams[1] (born January 19, 1963)[2] is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as an at-large member on the city council of Colorado Springs, Colorado from 2019 to 2023. Before serving on City Council, Williams was the Secretary of State of Colorado from 2015 to 2019.[3] [4]
Williams grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. His father was the facilities manager of the National Zoo's Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, where Williams was raised.
In high school, Williams organized for local Republican Party candidates. He also served as a delegate at the Virginia Republican Party convention. He attended Brigham Young University (BYU) on the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, and graduated in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in political science.[5] He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989.[6]
Williams began practicing employment law and labor law in the Salt Lake City office of Holme Roberts & Owen. He was offered a job with Sherman & Howard in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which he accepted in 1992.[6]
Bob Isaac, the mayor of Colorado Springs, appointed Williams to the city's Housing Authority board.[6] Williams served for eight years as an El Paso County Commissioner.He was succeeded by Darryl Glenn on the commission.[7] In 2010, Williams was elected the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder.[8] [9]
In 2014, Scott Gessler, the Secretary of State of Colorado, announced his candidacy for Governor of Colorado in the 2014 Colorado gubernatorial election.[10] Williams ran unopposed for the Republican Party nomination for Secretary of State.[11] He defeated Democratic Party nominee Joe Neguse in the general election, 47.5% to 44.9%.[9] [12]
On December 19, 2016 Michael Baca, a Colorado presidential elector, was replaced by Williams with Celeste Landry after Baca failed to vote for Hillary Clinton as he was pledged; Landry voted for Clinton.[13] Two Colorado electors filed suit against Williams in August 2017.
In 2017, Williams complied with Donald Trump's request by sending publicly available voter data to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.[14]
Colorado followed nearly every recommendation made by election experts in the wake of Russian interference in the 2016 election prior to the 2018 elections.[15]
On November 6, 2018, Williams lost re-election to Democrat Jena Griswold.[16]
In 2019, Williams announced his candidacy for the city council of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the 2019 elections.[17] He won an at-large seat on the council.[18]
In 2023, Williams was a candidate for mayor of Colorado Springs.[19] In the mayoral election held April 4, 2023, no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, and Williams was one of the top two vote-getters. A runoff election was held between Williams and the other top vote getter, Yemi Mobolade, on May 16.[20] [21] Mobolade defeated Williams.[22]
Williams and his wife, Holly, met at BYU. They have four children: Sean, Greg, Lindsey, and Wendy.[6]
2019 Colorado Springs At-Large City Council election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Gordon Klingenschmitt | 24,638 | 11% | |
| Bill Murray | 27,677 | 12% | |
| Val Snider | 12,997 | 6% | |
| Wayne Williams | 42,256 | 19% | |
| Tony Gioia | 18,155 | 8% | |
| Terry Martinez | 23,512 | 11% | |
| Regina English | 16,990 | 8% | |
| Tom Strand | 27,842 | 12% | |
| Randy Tuck | 5,981 | 3% | |
| Athena Roe | 15,143 | 7% | |
| Dennis Spiker | 8,410 | 4% |
| Colorado Secretary of State Election, 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democrat | Jena Griswold | 1,179,509 | 51.67 | |
| Republican | Wayne Williams | 1,047,309 | 45.80 | |
| Constitution | Amanda Campbell | 46,512 | 2.0 | |
| Approval Voting | Blake Huber | 17,613 | 0.5 | |
| Colorado Secretary of State Election, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Wayne Williams | 932,588 | 47.34 | |
| Democrat | Joe Neguse | 886,043 | 44.98 | |
| Constitution | Amanda Campbell | 77,790 | 3.95 | |
| Libertarian | Dave Schambach | 73,413 | 3.73 | |