Candidate profile: James Williams, for county commissioner

James Williams is dissatisfied with government, and he’s decided to do something about it.

Williams filed Tuesday to run for county commissioner in Commissioner District 1, where he will face incumbent Tim Gabrielson and Paul Fischer.

“I’ve been relatively unhappy with the way our political system has been running on all levels,” Williams said.

The 29-year-old Williams said he thinks government has gotten out of control, and he wanted to get involved to bring the ideas of the younger generation to the table. Williams, who lives outside Brownsdale, is self-employed and also works on his parents’ farm.

“I guess I view this as an opportunity to inject some of my thoughts and positions into the discussion,” he said.

Williams said it’s important for someone to speak for the people who may be looking to start up a business or find a job out of college.

In fact, he said, he’d like to work to keep the burden off of small businesses and new employees.

“Government policies are not serving the individual as much as they should,” he said.

Recently, Williams was looking into buying a foreclosed home to rent out, but the various septic and permitting costs — though not surprising — fueled his interest in the regulations and requirements of local government.

“It became apparent that this was not a simple process or a cheap project,” he said.

However, an interest in politics is nothing new.

“I’ve always been politically minded,” he said.

Williams and his family are no strangers to political activity. His father, Stephen, recently filed to run for U.S. Senate under the Independence Party and received the party’s nomination.

To Williams, the campaign won’t be just about winning a seat. Instead, Williams said, it’s important to serve as an instigator to spur discussion.

“The process is equally as important,” he said, adding he wants to start a dialogue with small business men and women and other area residents.