RAINBOW CITY, Ala. — After seven years in the Alabama State Senate, Phil Williams (R-Rainbow City) is voluntarily stepping aside. Williams was first elected in 2010 as part of the successful Republican effort to retake control of the state house, and he won reelection in 2014.

Prior to his time in the Senate, Williams served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve, as an area director for YoungLife, and as the chief counsel for Tax Credit Processing Center LLC. He holds a B.S. from the University of South Alabama and a J.D. from the Birmingham School of Law.

“For the past seven years, one of the highest honors of my life has been to serve the people of this State, and especially my District, in the Alabama Senate,” Williams said. “My entire adult life has been devoted to service: whether in ministry, the military, or as an elected official, I have sought the means to serve others.”

Williams noted that he wanted to avoid becoming one of countless career politicians. With the next election coming in 2018, he wanted to make the decision now to allow a qualified, conservative candidate to emerge.

“No one owns the position of State Senator; elected office is a calling to serve and not an identity to cling to,” he said. “My wife, Charlene, and I have been praying for some time about what our next steps should be. One thing we have definitely come to is that it is time to let this position be taken on by another individual, one who will hopefully be of the same mind and views.”

During his time in the legislature, Williams has made his mark as one of the state’s most reliable conservative lawmakers. He shepherded numerous bills into law, including ones that limit abortion, promote economic growth, protect gun rights, streamline state government, and develop the state’s workforce. He was also one of only nine Alabama State Senators to vote against every tax increase proposed to solve the general fund crisis of 2015. “At a time when the economy is still recovering the people of Alabama sent more than enough of their hard earned dollars to Montgomery to cover all state expenses,” he told Yellowhammer in 2015. “I can see no reason to ask them to send more.”

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As for the future, Williams sees himself continuing his lifelong mission of service, albeit in a different capacity. “There are things that I want to commit my time to with my family, church, and law practice,” he said. “I hope to be an asset to my local and state Republican Party organizations, and assist in growing the gains that we have made since 2010.”

However, he did leave the door open to a return to public office later in life. “I will not rule out serving in another elected office if that calling is determined,” Williams said. “But for now, I will finish this term with the utmost confidence that much of what I ran on as a platform, as principles, has been accomplished, and I trust that it will be continued.”