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On Nov. 14, Brandon Williams was declared the winner in the election for New York’s 22nd congressional district with 50.7% of the vote. Williams will join the 221 Republican representatives in the House of Representatives.

Williams, a Republican with no prior experience holding public office, will take Rep. John Katko’s seat following Katko’s retirement. Katko was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump following the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

Before Williams officially takes office in January 2023, The Daily Orange broke down what his tenure could mean for central New York.

Central New York economy

Williams, a United States Navy veteran and Texas native, is the owner of CPLANE.ai, a software development business based in Silicon Valley, California. He started a truffle farm after moving to central New York in 201o.

He advocates for growing small and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurship and investment in the central New York economy, according to a policy statement from BallotPedia.

“(T)he best way to create jobs for Central New Yorkers? Promoting trade learning in high school and college, modernizing manufacturing, and reducing the red tape that stands between entrepreneurs and job creation,” Williams wrote in a tweet in November.

When Micron announced it had chosen Clay, a suburb of Syracuse, as the location for its new microchip fabrication plant, Williams expressed support despite previously speaking out against the CHIPS act, which allowed for semiconductor and microchip funding subsidies.

Williams has also supported lowering taxes and cutting “reckless” government spending to curb inflation, rising costs and a possible economic recession.

“We have to look at things like smaller government and free enterprise to get us out of the mess that we’ve created, including less spending and common sense energy policy that reduces energy costs, particularly for the middle class,” Williams said in an October Politico article.

Education

Williams opposes critical race theory in schools, believes parents should have a say in their children’s education curriculum and opposes education about sex and gender identity in elementary schools, according to his campaign website. He said he wants to prioritize policy for affordable community college tuition and quality trade and public school education.

Healthcare

Williams has expressed opposition to mandates for lockdowns and vaccines in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to BallotPedia’s policy statement.

Regarding reproductive healthcare, Williams’ campaign website states that “Brandon will always promote life while also standing with young mothers to ensure that choice is protected in instances of rape, incest, or life of the mother.” He wants to work bipartisanly to expand adoption options and affordability for pregnant people, according to the website.

But in a video of an October debate with Democratic opponent Francis Conole, Williams denied Conole’s claims that Williams’ positions would allow politicians to ban abortion.

“The people of New York are gonna make this decision,” Williams said.

Crime

Williams has emphasized his support for expanding funding and training for law enforcement. The Deputy Sheriff’s Benevolent Association of Onondaga County endorsed his campaign.

When a Starbucks location in downtown Armory Square Syracuse cited safety concerns for its closure, Williams blamed cashless bail policies for “putting violent offenders back on the street” and pushing businesses out of the region.

“Cashless bail is a radical and failed policy that lets violent criminals out of jail to commit more crimes, putting our families in danger,” Williams wrote in a tweet. “It’s time to support victims by promoting strong prosecution of those who prey on our communities.”

Published on December 8, 2022 at 12:34 am

Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu