Josh Williams (politician)

Josh Williams (born 1984)^[1] is an American politician who is a Republican^[2] member of the Ohio House of Representatives representing the 44th district. He was first elected November 8, 2022, and assumed office January 1, 2023.^[3] He is the first Black Republican to be elected to the Ohio House in 50 years.^[4]

Josh Williams
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 44th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2023
Preceded by	Andrea White
Personal details
Born	(1984-06-21) June 21, 1984 (age 41) Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Children	1 son
Education	University of Toledo (BS, JD)

Biography

Williams dropped out of high school at the age of 18 in order to work to support his son. He later suffered a serious back injury after falling over thirty feet while working. This incident left him disabled for six years as he underwent numerous surgical procedures. After getting a GED, he started college at the age of 30, and five years later, he graduated from University of Toledo College of Law and became a practicing attorney and professor at Adrian College.^[5]

Career

In July 2023, Williams was one of the lead sponsors of a bill that would ban drag performances from any venue where minors could be present.^[6]

In December 2024, Williams was the lead sponsor of a bill that would make it a felony to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium in response to the flag planting incident at Ohio State after a loss to rival Michigan on November 30, 2024.^[7]

In January 2025, Williams was sworn in and serves as a whip^[8] apart of Ohio's 136th General Assembly.