+ − Contact Information
Phone: (614) 466-4857
Office Address:
Senate Building 1 Capitol Square Ground Floor Columbus, OH 43215
+ − Biography
State Senator Sandra Williams, who represents Ohio's 21st Senate District, is currently serving her first term in the Ohio Senate.
Senator Williams is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended Cleveland Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice, a Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration from Tiffin University, and Executive Master’s in Business Administration from Cleveland State University. She is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Tiffin University.
Sen. Williams has spent more than two decades in public service—as a corrections officer, probation and parole officer, mediator for the State of Ohio, legislative aide, State Representative, and in her current role as a State Senator. She also served our country as a member of the United States Army Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1995.
While serving in the Ohio House of Representatives from 2006-2014, Sen. Williams was appointed to Ranking Member of the House Public Utilities committee. Additional committee assignments included the House Manufacturing and Workforce Development, and Economic Development and Regulatory Reform committees. She also served on the Ohio Power Siting and Minority Development Financing Advisory Boards.
As a prominent member of the Democratic Party, she has built bipartisan relationships with lawmakers in Ohio and throughout the United States. During her time in the general assembly, she has made strong efforts on improving access to economic development opportunities, such as improving contracting prospects for women and minority contractors in prominent development projects in the state. She has also worked to expand job training opportunities for Ohioans transitioning into new fields. This effort included the development and passage of initiatives that revised criminal sentencing and re-entry laws that removed significant barriers to employment—providing a second chance for ex-offenders to allow them to become productive citizens.
She spearheaded the passage of Ohio's Lupus Education and Awareness Program, and also led the charge to restructure the Cleveland Municipal School District; passing legislation that will set the foundation for stronger schools, increased learning opportunities, and a brighter future for Cleveland’s children.
As the former President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, she focused on initiatives such as promoting education in the African American community, voting rights, decreasing inequalities in health care, increasing opportunities for minority business enterprises, and improving racial disparities in the criminal justice system. And as part of the Caucus' commitment to higher education, she created the OLBC scholarship fund.
Senator Sandra Williams has an outstanding record of community service and is a true statesman. She is a member of the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus, NAACP, Black Women's Political Action Committee, and the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World.
