Former District 6 Iowa Senator Craig Williams of Manning is running again to represent the region at the statehouse, but this time, it is for the Iowa House of Representatives in District 11. Williams, a Republican, was elected to the Senate in 2020, but he chose not to seek reelection in 2022 after redistricting would have forced him to run a primary against current District 6 Senator Jason Schultz. When the opportunity to return to the statehouse came up after Rep. Brian Best announced he was not running, Williams says he decided to reenter the political arena.
Williams is originally from Rockford, Ill., but moved to Manning 33 years ago after he and his wife decided they wanted a better place to raise their family. Williams spent much of his career working in the seed industry before starting his own consulting company 10 years ago, which now contracts with global firms. Thanks to his time in the Senate, Williams says he won’t need much time to get settled if elected and is ready to get to work on what he sees as Iowa’s biggest challenges right away.
The answers to those challenges will not be simple, but Williams says he excels at solving those types of problems because he enjoys learning the nuts and bolts of an issue.
Williams is generally a staunch supporter of conservative values, but he says he is also willing to hear all sides of an issue before a vote. Williams is running against Democrat Jeff Rich of Glidden for the District 11 House seat. Both candidates are expected to appear during the Carroll Chamber of Commerce’s Oct. 15 forum at the Carroll Rec Center. Early voting in Iowa opens Oct. 16.
