Lily Tang Williams of Weare is running for Congress in New Hampshire's Second District. Telegraph photo by Christopher Roberson

WEARE – After coming up short in last year’s Republican Congressional Primary, Lily Tang Williams of Weare has not given up on the chance to represent New Hampshire’s Second District on the House floor.

“I want to give one more push,” she said. “A lot of Independents voted for me last year.”

In a field of seven candidates, Tang Williams finished third garnering 25 percent of the vote.

In order to advance to the 2024 General Election against incumbent Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH), Tang Williams must first get by Republican challengers Mark Kilbane and Jason Riddle. Kilbane is a former U.S. Army captain while Riddle served in the U.S. Navy and took part in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building.

If elected, Tang Williams said repairing the Second District’s economy would be her top priority.

“People are hurting,” she said. “Everything is going up.”

She also said federal spending continues to spiral out of control causing the National Debt to reach a staggering $32.7 trillion.

“Some economic policies need to be changed,” she said. “You cannot promise stuff that you cannot deliver.”

In addition to the economy, Tang Williams said the Second District is facing employment shortages and a lack of affordable housing.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Second District has a population of 691,605 residents and an average household income of $110,510 per year.

Turning her attention to the incumbent congresswoman, Tang Williams said Kuster has lost touch with her constituents.

“She will not do Town Halls,” said Tang Williams, adding that Kuster has made little progress since taking office in 2013. “She’s been there for 10 years, what has she done?”

In contrast, Tang Williams said she would always hold Town Halls and be available to residents.

“I can promise people, I’ll tell them the truth,” said Tang Williams. “Once people get to meet with me in person, they will like me — I have natural sympathy toward working poor people.”

She has good reason for making such a statement as that was her life for many years.

Originally from Chengdu, China, Tang Williams grew up in a working class family under the brutal Communist Regime of Mao Zedong.

In addition to the Communist indoctrination, Tang Williams endured hardships such as food rationing, social discord and living conditions that were almost unbearable.

Yet, through hard work and perseverance, she graduated from Fudan University in 1985 with an undergraduate law degree. From there, she joined the faculty at the university’s law school and became a corporate attorney in Shanghai.

In 1988, Tang Williams was able to leave China for a new life in the United States. At the time, she could not speak fluent English, had only $100 with her and owed $1,200 to her American sponsor.

However, hard work and perseverance paid off once again as Tang Williams earned her Master’s Degree in Administration and Planning from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991.

Before moving to New Hampshire in 2019, she lived in Colorado for several years. In 2014, she ran for the Colorado House of Representatives and finished third against two opponents. She also ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, again finishing third against six opponents.

Tang Williams is the co-founder and chairwoman of the New Hampshire Asian American Coalition. She and her husband also manage residential real estate properties.

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