{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRyan D. Williams is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 42, covering Cookeville and Putnam County, since January 2011. He ran for reelection in 2022 and 2024.\n\n## Background and education\nWilliams was born June 1, 1973, in Kingsport, Tennessee. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Carson-Newman University on a soccer scholarship, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college in 1996.\n\n## Career\nWilliams serves as Director of Business Development for J&S Construction Company in Cookeville. He challenged Democratic incumbent Henry Fincher for House District 42 in 2010, winning the Republican Primary and the General Election with 55.3% of the vote. In 2016, his House Republican colleagues elected him Republican Caucus Chairman. He has secured more than $400 million in funding for Tennessee Tech University's capital programs.\n\n## Family\nWilliams has been married to his wife, Abby, for more than 25 years. They have two children, Tyson and Carson, and reside in Cookeville, Tennessee.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Ryan Williams \u2013 Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Williams_(American_politician))\n- [2] [Ryan Williams' Biography \u2013 Vote Smart](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/113713/ryan-williams)\n- [3] [About \u2013 Williams for Tennessee](https://www.ryanwilliamsfortn.com/about)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_042","county":"Putnam","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"TN House District 42"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Ryan D.","fullname":"Ryan D. Williams","lastname":"Williams","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_042","contest_title":"TN House District 42","county":"Putnam","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house_042","office_title":"State Representative District 42","party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"R","primary":{"contest":"state_house_042","contest_title":"TN House District 42","county":"Putnam","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house_042","office_title":"State Representative District 42","party":"R","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house_042","office_title":"State Representative District 42","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"SgRNEqlt40"}