Williamsburg's local election season was fairly quiet this year. But it ended with a historic result.
Ayanna Williams was the only newcomer elected to one of the three city council seats up for grabs this year. She is the first Black woman ever elected to the council and the first enrolled undergraduate student to serve on the board.
Williams called it an “absolute honor.”
“I’m here to make sure that everyone is heard and represented adequately here in Williamsburg,” she said. “It is such a privilege.”
Williams will step into the seat of Caleb Rogers, who chose not to run for re-election after serving for four years. The remaining seats were filled by incumbents Pat Dent and Barb Ramsey. Rogers endorsed Williams for his seat and was a source of motivation for her during the campaign.
“Caleb continues to inspire me every single day,” she said. “Just his commitment the past four years, and even before his term, serving the city and keeping the concerns of residents first.”
The 20-year-old councilwoman-elect is a William & Mary government major, which she said gives her a window into the perspective of a group that constitutes “over half the Williamsburg population.”
“The best superpower one person can have is the ability to listen,” Williams said. “That’s my plan. That’s what I hope to do, is to listen to all residents’ concerns and apply those concerns to come up with innovative solutions that serve the city.”
Williams grew up south of Richmond in Chesterfield County, but family connections to the city made Williamsburg a mainstay in her life.
“My parents are originally from Hampton, so with Williamsburg being in between both Richmond and Hampton we were constantly in the area,” she said. “I had an uncle that … was a volunteer at the fire department for over 25 years.”
Williams has a few areas of focus for her term, which starts in January 2025. She wants to invest in education and teacher compensation, grow the stock of affordable and accessible housing in Williamsburg and safeguard the local environment.
As she prepares to enter office, Williams said she’s spending the rest of the year diving deeper into researching innovative solutions. She noted that while many of the city’s affordable housing goals are being tackled, numerous remain to be done.
“Looking at ways where we can expand and keep up the great work the city has already placed and outlined out, I think, is crucial.”
Williams hopes she can build trust and understanding with Williamsburg constituents.
“One of the things that I will be prioritizing is just having conversations … around what do you believe is the best way we should move forward,” she said. “And also what we can celebrate as well.”
“I think it’s very easy sometimes for us to pinpoint issues and concerns – which are great because you should always be improving – but also we don’t celebrate the great work that’s been done enough.”
