Grace Williams

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Grace Williams

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Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Southern California, 1997

Graduate

University of La Verne, 2010

Military

Years of service

2003 - 2011

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Community and economic development

Contact

Campaign website

Personal LinkedIn

Grace Williams (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 41st Congressional District. She lost in the primary on March 3, 2020.

Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Grace Williams earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in May 1997 and a graduate degree from the University of La Verne in May 2010. Her professional experience includes working in community and economic development. Williams served in the United States Army from 2003 to 2011.

Elections

2020

See also: California's 41st Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 41

Incumbent Mark Takano defeated Aja Smith in the general election for U.S. House California District 41 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Takano (D)	64.0	168,126
		Aja Smith (R)	36.0	94,447

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 262,573
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 41

Incumbent Mark Takano and Aja Smith defeated Grace Williams and Anza Akram in the primary for U.S. House California District 41 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Takano (D)	50.8	58,723
✔		Aja Smith (R)	33.0	38,231
	Submit photo	Grace Williams (D)	16.2	18,731
	Submit photo	Anza Akram (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)	0.0	2

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 115,687
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Simon Mark Alvarez (D)

Campaign themes

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released 2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Grace Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Williams' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a US Army Veteran, a second generation immigrant, working mom and a small business owner. A resident of Perris, I previously worked for the City as their Director of Planning & Economic Development where I oversaw the Planning and Economic Development Departments, the Housing Authority and grants. Prior to that, I was the Economic & Community Development Manager for the March Joint Powers Authority where I oversaw the development of new businesses around the March Air Reserve Base and managed Foreign Trade Zone #244 which covers over 400 square miles of properties in Riverside County. I have more than 20 years of experience in community and economic development. I've successfully brought in more than $25 million of public funding for infrastructure projects and workforce training to District 41. I hold a Doctorate in Policy, Planning & Development from USC's Sol Price School of Public Policy; a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership & Management from the University of La Verne; and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California in Urban/Regional Planning with an emphasis in Civil Engineering.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I'll create strong career opportunities for youth, veterans, disabled and displaced workers.
• I'll increase federal funds for affordable housing and homeless services.
• I'll increase federal funds for non-profits for needed social services.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about policies that help people out of poverty that include strong education and vocational programs, housing programs and mental health support services.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Oprah Winfrey because of her life story and the inspiration she's become for so many in the world. Her ability to help others live their best lives is something I aspire to do in creating policies that will help Americans enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the fullest.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristics for elected officials to have include commitment and follow-through on promises which show integrity; excellent customer service skills; excellent listening skills; results oriented; visionary; and transformational leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a visionary, a problem solver and a team player. I believe in the power of public-private partnerships and I have the ability to work across the aisle politically, and with private and public organizations to create jobs and economic development opportunities. I am mission oriented and believe that District 41 deserves stronger representation than what we've had in the past six years for our schools, our communities and veterans. I am a military veteran that understands firsthand the services we need to improve support for our veterans on the ground level.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

US Congressional Representatives must:

1. Be an extension of District residents' voices in Washington DC and represent local interests federally.

2. Deliver federal resources locally to address local issues like homelessness, education, healthcare and veteran services.

3. Work across political aisles to create opportunities for District residents.

4. Ensure that federal policies meet the needs of American people.

5. Fight against discriminatory laws and practices.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I have a vision of making District 41 a hub for technical and trade skills and grow vocational training in our public schools, support Aerospace & Defense manufacturing, and be a leader in automation and clean/green technologies.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

At 15 years old my family and I lost our home in a hurricane and we were homeless for nearly two years. That event changed my life. High school teachers that saw potential in me invested time and resources in my education. Because of that experience I have an inherent passion for helping people out of poverty and for public service.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked as a student employee in a restaurant at the University of Southern California during my first year of college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama is inspirational.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Wonder Woman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

We Will Rock You by Queen

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The US House of Representatives determines whether or not the American people can have access to opportunities for quality lives or advancements in economic and social issues. No other institution has the type of influence over people's livelihoods than Congress.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, but I do believe that representatives should have experience in making a difference in their local communities.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The biggest challenge for our nation is the hyper-partisanship in Washington DC and as long as federal leaders spend significant time focused on dividing the country along party lines, our nation will not make significant advancements in social justice issues.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

1. Education and Labor

2. Veterans' Affairs

3. Science, Space and Technology

4. Small Business

5. Transportation and Infrastructure

6. Armed services

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

No I do not believe that 2 years is the right term length for representatives. We need 4 years per term for Representatives with no more than 8 years of service like the Presidential seat.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

We need term limits in Congress to ensure that Representatives are always working for the American people first and foremost. Like the Presidential seat, we need 4 year terms with no more than 8 years of service for US House of Representatives and six year terms with no more than 12 years of service for Senators.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I met a high school senior named Rosa when I volunteered on a mock job interview panel for a local high school in 2018. She was the most prepared interviewee I met and during an impromptu question on her personal life she revealed that she was raped at 8 years old and was motivated to succeed in a career to protect her younger sisters. Her story reinforced in me the need to fight for strong career focused programs in our public schools and to expand funding for non-profits that provide the best support services for our kids in and out of their schools.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

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California's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Alex Padilla (D)

Adam Schiff (D)

Representatives

District 1

Doug LaMalfa (R)

District 2

Jared Huffman (D)

District 3

Kevin Kiley (R)

District 4

Mike Thompson (D)

District 5

Tom McClintock (R)

District 6

Ami Bera (D)

District 7

Doris Matsui (D)

District 8

John Garamendi (D)

District 9

Josh Harder (D)

District 10

Mark DeSaulnier (D)

District 11

Nancy Pelosi (D)

District 12

Lateefah Simon (D)

District 13

Adam Gray (D)

District 14

Eric Swalwell (D)

District 15

Kevin Mullin (D)

District 16

Sam Liccardo (D)

District 17

Ro Khanna (D)

District 18

Zoe Lofgren (D)

District 19

Jimmy Panetta (D)

District 20

Vince Fong (R)

District 21

Jim Costa (D)

District 22

David Valadao (R)

District 23

Jay Obernolte (R)

District 24

Salud Carbajal (D)

District 25

Raul Ruiz (D)

District 26

Julia Brownley (D)

District 27

George Whitesides (D)

District 28

Judy Chu (D)

District 29

Luz Rivas (D)

District 30

Laura Friedman (D)

District 31

Gil Cisneros (D)

District 32

Brad Sherman (D)

District 33

Pete Aguilar (D)

District 34

Jimmy Gomez (D)

District 35

Norma Torres (D)

District 36

Ted Lieu (D)

District 37

Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)

District 38

Linda Sánchez (D)

District 39

Mark Takano (D)

District 40

Young Kim (R)

District 41

Ken Calvert (R)

District 42

Robert Garcia (D)

District 43

Maxine Waters (D)

District 44

Nanette Barragán (D)

District 45

Derek Tran (D)

District 46

Lou Correa (D)

District 47

Dave Min (D)

District 48

Darrell Issa (R)

District 49

Mike Levin (D)

District 50

Scott Peters (D)

District 51

Sara Jacobs (D)

District 52

Juan Vargas (D)

Democratic Party (45)

Republican Party (9)