Senator Anthony Williams Contact information

Anthony Hardy Williams was born on February 28, 1957. He is an American politician and a former businessman. He is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 8th District since 1998.

Before entering public service, he worked at PepsiCo as a mid-level executive and later owned a small vending company. Williams is the son of Hardy, a politician, and Carole, an elementary school teacher. He grew up in Philadelphia. He attended Anderson Elementary School (one block from his home, where his mother taught), Mitchell Elementary School, Conwell Middle Magnet School and Westtown School. He then earned a degree in economics from Franklin & Marshall College.

He was sworn in to represent the 191st legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1989. In 1998, Williams’ father, Pennsylvania State Senator Hardy Williams, retired hours before the deadline to file nominating petitions, allowing Anthony the opportunity to run unopposed for his father’s 8th senatorial district seat. The younger Williams had already filed his nominating petitions to run for his House seat, so he remained on both ballots. He declined to take his House seat when he won both elections simultaneously.

On June 21, 2023, Williams along with fellow State Senator Lisa Boscola announced they were affiliating with Andrew Yang ’s Forward Party, though they were not dropping their membership of the Democratic Party and the State Senate’s Democratic caucus.

Williams is the Democratic chairman of the State Government Committee in the state Senate and is a member of the Education, Banking and Insurance, Finance, and the Environmental Resources and Energy committees, and the Life Sciences Caucus. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and chairs the Black Elected Officials of Philadelphia County, an ad hoc group encompassing federal, state and municipal politicians of color.

In January 2011, following the death of Michael O’Pake, Williams was elected Democratic Whip. Ward leader Williams is the Ward Leader of the 3rd Ward Democratic Executive Committee. He also chairs the Philadelphia Democratic United Ward Leaders of Color, a group of ward leaders of color who represent various wards within The City and County of Philadelphia.