Roger Williams Bio
John Roger Williams, widely known as Roger Williams, is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas’s 25th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Secretary of State of Texas from 2004 to 2007 under Governor Rick Perry. Born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in Fort Worth, Williams played college baseball at Texas Christian University and briefly played in the Atlanta Braves farm system before entering public life.
Williams operates a family automobile dealership in Weatherford, Texas, and has built a long record in Texas politics through fundraising, statewide office, and congressional service. In the U.S. House of Representatives, he has focused on small-business issues while representing a district that stretches from central Austin to Burleson.
Early Life and Background
Roger Williams was born on September 13, 1949, in Evanston, Illinois. He was raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he spent his formative years and developed an early interest in sports and business. He attended Texas Christian University, where he played college baseball for the Horned Frogs from 1968 to 1971.
At TCU, Williams was a member of the university’s baseball program and later coached the TCU baseball team. After college, he was selected in the 25th round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft by the Atlanta Braves and played in the team’s farm system, reaching the Class A Western Carolinas League before stepping away from professional baseball.
Williams also inherited his family’s automobile dealership in Weatherford, a business his father had founded in 1939. He would go on to operate the dealership for decades, eventually becoming one of the wealthier members of Congress.
Path to US Politics
Williams’s entry into Texas politics began behind the scenes. He served as a fundraiser for Governor George W. Bush in his 1994 and 1998 elections, and later took on larger roles, including North Texas Chairman for the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign, North Texas Finance Chairman in 2004, and National Grassroots Fundraising Chairman for the 2004 campaign.
Governor Rick Perry appointed Williams as his fourth Secretary of State of Texas in 2004, a position he held until 2007. On June 11, 2007, Williams announced his resignation as Secretary of State. In late 2008, he formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for the United States Senate seat held by Kay Bailey Hutchison, and later explored a 2012 Senate bid before choosing to run for the U.S. House of Representatives instead.
In June 2011, Williams announced that he was dropping his Senate bid to run for the newly drawn Texas’s 25th congressional district. The district has been cited as one of Texas’s most gerrymandered districts, stretching from central Austin to Burleson, and Williams began residing in the district that same year.
Roger Williams Career
Early Career (2004–2011)
Williams’s first major political role came when Governor Rick Perry appointed him Secretary of State of Texas in 2004. In that role, he served as the state’s chief elections officer and handled a range of administrative duties for Texas.
He remained in office until resigning in 2007, after which he spent several years laying the groundwork for a federal run. His fundraising background and statewide network positioned him to launch a congressional campaign once the 25th district was redrawn.
Congressional Breakthrough (2012–2016)
Williams launched his congressional campaign in 2011, ultimately winning a crowded primary. He ranked first with 25 percent of the vote, qualifying for a runoff against Wes Riddle, and defeated Riddle 58 percent to 42 percent on July 31. In the November general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Elaine Henderson 58 percent to 37 percent, winning his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 2014, Williams won his second term, defeating Democrat Marco Montoya and Libertarian John Betz with about 60.2 percent of the vote. Two years later, he won his third term with 58.4 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Kathi Thomas, as Donald Trump carried the national electoral vote majority over Hillary Rodham Clinton.
On June 14, 2017, Williams was present during a shooting attack on a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game. He was taken from the area on a stretcher after suffering an ankle injury when he jumped into the dugout during the attack. A member of his staff was also shot and treated for a leg injury.
Texas’s 25th District Era (2017–Present)
Williams has continued to represent Texas’s 25th congressional district, winning re-election multiple times. In 2018, he won his fourth term with 53.6 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Julie Oliver. He was reelected in 2020 with 56 percent of the vote, again defeating Julie Oliver, who received 42 percent.
Throughout his tenure, Williams has been involved in small-business and economic issues, reflecting his background as a longtime auto dealer. His Weatherford-based Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership received a Paycheck Protection Program loan of between $1 million and $2 million during the COVID-19 pandemic, a loan that was later forgiven.
Notable Events and Milestones
In 2015, Williams condemned the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the constitution. He also supported President Trump’s 2017 executive order imposing entry restrictions on citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, calling it a commonsense measure. In December 2020, Williams was one of 126 Republican House members to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit contesting the 2020 presidential election results, which the Supreme Court declined to hear.
Roger Williams Career Wins
Roger Williams has won multiple elections in Texas, beginning with his 2012 victory in the 25th congressional district and continuing through several successful reelections in a district that stretches from central Austin to Burleson.
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
Williams first won Texas’s 25th congressional district in 2012, defeating Democratic nominee Elaine Henderson 58 percent to 37 percent. He has since won reelection in 2014 with 60.2 percent, in 2016 with 58.4 percent, in 2018 with 53.6 percent, and in 2020 with 56 percent, each time defeating a Democratic nominee, including Julie Oliver in 2018 and 2020.
Other Wins and Achievements
Before his time in Congress, Williams won appointment as Secretary of State of Texas in 2004 under Governor Rick Perry and served in that role until 2007. He has also been a key fundraiser in Texas Republican politics, supporting Governor George W. Bush in 1994 and 1998, and serving in senior fundraising roles for Bush-Cheney 2000 and the 2004 campaign.
Roger Williams Family
Family Background and Public Service
Roger Williams inherited the family’s automobile dealership from his father, who founded the business in 1939. He has continued to operate the dealership in Weatherford, Texas, the seat of Parker County, and is also a trustee of Texas Christian University and the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Personal Life
Williams married Patty Jung in 1983, and the couple had two daughters. Patty Williams died on January 17, 2025. Williams is a practicing Protestant, is the coach of the Republican team for the Congressional Baseball Game, and has reportedly shaken the hand of every U.S. president since Harry S. Truman. With a net worth of $27.7 million, he was listed as the 22nd wealthiest member of Congress in 2018.