Williams, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that he has formed an exploratory committee and will decide next month whether or not to run for governor of New York.
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As part of the exploratory committee, Williams is forming an advisory council of elected officials, advocates and community leaders from across the state to advise on policy, politics, and strategy of a campaign, and will tour the city and state throughout the month of October to hear directly from New Yorkers about the issues most important in their communities.
"I've spent my entire career, most of my life, pushing and advocating and fighting on behalf of the people and against injustice and inertia. What's wrong in New York, and what's stopping the people in power from changing it. I'm proud to have had many successes in that fight," Williams said. "Now, our state is attempting to recover from a pandemic and move forward from an era of toxicity, of scandal, of ego, and personality standing in the way of progress. I've always been dedicated to public service, and over the coming weeks, I'm considering how best I can serve in that work to renew New York."
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In an interview Tuesday, Williams criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul for not pushing back harder against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo when she served as lieutenant governor, despite her claims she had no influence on Cuomo's administration.
"It's going to take bold, principled, consistent progressive leadership to get us through these next months and years," Williams said. "The culture that created, enabled, and empowered Andrew Cuomo and his administration, and others like him is still there. Andrew Cuomo's Albany is still there. We need to reject the systems and people that created this leadership crisis in order to move New York forward and better serve New Yorkers."
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