From homelessness to practicing attorney, Ohio state Rep. Williams launches bid for Congress

From growing up in poverty to homelessness to becoming a practicing attorney to becoming an Ohio state representative, Josh Williams plans to tackle another hurdle: running for Congress. Williams is running to unseat Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who serves the Buckeye State's 9th Congressional district. Williams currently represents House District 44 in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Williams also serves as the first black Majority Whip in Ohio House history. 

"I grew up in poverty [and was] raised by a single mother after my dad died from cancer," Williams said on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "We struggled, but we made do. I dropped out of high school when I was 18. When I became homeless, I slept on park benches for about the next six months."

Williams said that while he was homeless, he found out he was going to be a father, and he worked to find a job. He eventually found work as a railroad subcontractor, but at 21 he became injured and hurt his spine, resulting in a six-year road to recovery. 

By his own bootstraps

"I had metal implanted in my spine to stabilize it," he said. 

He said eventually, he managed to recover after years of health problems, and attended the University of Toledo. By age 35, he had graduated from University of Toledo Law School. He then became a practicing attorney and a college professor, teaching Constitutional Law. 

Williams said the country under President Donald Trump was doing well in his first term and the current representative he is trying to unseat is trying to set back the president's agenda in his second term. 

"We're seeing the economic policies that are coming out of the Trump administration," he said. "And I'm continuing to see my representative, Marcy Kaptur, get on stage and say how that's going to kill the US economy, even though the reports are showing continuous growth."

"We finally have strong leadership, putting America first, putting Ohio manufacturers first, and we're competitive on a national stage, and I'm continuing to see Democrats just being negative," Williams continued. 

Individual responsibility

He also said that Kaptur is out of touch with most Ohioans as she voted against Trump's tax break and a push for American manufacturing. A controversial part of Trump's "big beautiful bill" was making some changes to Medicaid, requiring some people to work to receive benefits.

Williams said he supports the idea of individual responsibility and that often the government can get in the way of people moving up, speaking from personal experience. 

"That idea of individual responsibility is what helped dig me out of poverty and out of that bed when I was disabled and hopeless," he said. "When I tried to gain good economic growth for my family, the government stepped in the way."

He said he had to work 20 hours a week just to maintain his disability benefits while going to school.

"I was able to do that while 50% disabled," Williams said. "You're telling me that a 30-year-old living in his grandmother's basement, playing video games all day, can't put down the dope that he's smoking to get a job and be able to maintain free health care that the honest, working blue collar Ohioan is paying for him? I think that's the minimal amount of work that he could do."

"He believes everyone deserves the opportunity to rise up like he has, but career politicians are not the solution, and it’s time for a new generation of leadership," Williams' campaign website reads.