Lillie Williams, a candidate for North Carolina House of Representatives in District 12, is focusing her campaign on addressing poverty and improving the quality of life for residents of Lenoir, Greene, and Jones counties. Williams, who is running against the incumbent Rep. Chris Humphrey, is a Kinston native with over 30 years of experience in education, leadership, and community service.

“I want to help our citizens, all of our citizens, to improve their quality of life by decreasing poverty and increasing economic equity,” Williams said. She has built her platform around fighting for increased wages, better funding for public schools, and ensuring access to housing and healthcare for all residents. Williams emphasizes that economic equity is a key component of her campaign, citing her extensive background in public education and leadership as qualifications that position her well to advocate for change.

Williams holds academic degrees in Mental Health, Special Education, a Master’s in Education, and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership. In addition to her professional experience as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and director of education, she is also an ordained minister and volunteer chaplain. Williams believes these experiences give her a strong foundation to represent the district.

As a candidate, Williams said she is motivated by what she sees as the North Carolina General Assembly’s failure to adequately support public education and the governor’s veto power. “I am pursuing public office because I do not think the North Carolina General Assembly is doing enough to ensure an appropriate public education for all North Carolina students,” she said.

Williams also pointed to her ability to make difficult decisions as part of her qualifications for public office. She recounted a challenge she faced in her career when she had to replace a long-standing and well-liked employee. Through the use of policy and documentation, Williams was able to manage the situation, an experience she believes prepared her for the responsibilities of office. “Policy is the determining factor in every area of our lives and we need legislators that will create and implement policies that will benefit all our citizens,” she said.

If elected, Williams intends to address what she sees as the three most pressing issues for her district: public school funding, infrastructure, and public transportation. She plans to prioritize these issues in the order listed, with a focus on increasing funding for public education. Williams has stressed her commitment to transparency and accessibility in her decision-making process, promising to stay connected with her constituents through town hall meetings, phone and email correspondence, and other communication channels. She also plans to maintain records of her votes and share her legislative actions with the community through the General Assembly website.

Williams is also committed to engaging with and listening to the diverse voices of the district by holding what she describes as “kitchen table meetings.” These informal gatherings would allow her to meet with a wide range of community members to better understand their needs. “Effective governance will require collaboration across party lines and a variety of stakeholders to be inclusive of all people,” Williams said. She is open to working with any representative who shares the concerns of her constituents, regardless of party affiliation.

In balancing short-term goals with long-term plans, Williams believes in focusing on achievable goals that offer immediate relief to residents. She explained that this approach would help build the foundation for long-term growth and development in the community. “I will help citizens to understand the long-term plans by focusing on and enjoying the value of the short-term goals that offer immediate relief,” she said.

With the 2024 election approaching, Williams is aiming to address the needs of District 12 by focusing on improving public education, supporting economic equity, and ensuring accessible governance. As she continues to campaign, Williams remains firm in her commitment to advocating for all residents of her district. “I will fight tooth and nail for all of us to the right to decrease poverty by increasing wages and fully funding our public education,” she said.

North Carolina will hold its general election on Nov. 5th with in-person early voting beginning on October 17th. Neuse News will live stream the 2024 Election Results on Facebook starting at 7:15 pm.