Disabilities' advocate and attorney Brendan Williams is a resident of Olympia, Washington. 

Former executive director of the Washington Health Care Association, Brendan was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 2004, and served the 22nd Legislative District, Position 1.  He was elected as a Democrat in 2004 and 2006, and was elected as a Progressive Democrat in 2008.

During his three terms in office Brendan received top-legislator recognition from several groups, and, out of 98 House members, passed the third-most bills into law from 2007-08.

In addition to over a dozen others, Brendan’s prime-sponsored laws included protecting insurance for churches and health care providers targeted by criminals; creating sexual assault protection orders; expanding domestic violence protection orders to allow victims to remove pets from abusers; and requiring that negligent businesses reimburse financial institutions for the cost of compromising customers’ financial data.

More whimsically, Brendan worked with the children of Boston Harbor Elementary to designate the pacific chorus frog as Washington’s official amphibian.

In 2009 Brendan was one of only five legislators (out of 147) to receive a 100% rating from the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.  He voted against draconian cuts to education and public services including long-term care.  He was the Legislature’s leading personal contributor to Democratic causes and campaigns. 

As the head of the Washington Health Care Association, Brendan mobilized the defeat of proposed $70 million long-term care cuts in successive years (2003-2004) – producing 3.2% and 2.4% funding increases instead at a time when other state funding areas were cut.

Published in three law reviews, Brendan earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law; his M.A. in Criminal Justice from Washington State University; his B.A. from The Evergreen State College; and graduated from Iowa City High School.  While in college Brendan was the head of the Washington Student Lobby.

Brendan has worked for all three branches of state government.  He was a Senate Intern and a Governor’s Intern in 1990 – as well as a judicial law clerk at the Washington Supreme Court from 1998-2000 working on matters ranging from administrative law to the death penalty. He serves as a deputy commissioner to consumer champion Mike Kreidler, Washington's elected insurance commissioner.

Brendan fought to safeguard the rights of sexual assault victims against their abusers persecuting them in courtrooms.  When a young victim threatened to jump off the King County Courthouse in Nov. 2010, rather than face the man accused of raping her and four other girls, it was pointed out by KOMO's Ken Schram, the Seattle Times, Q-13 News, King-5 News, KIRO radio, and others that Brendan's work would have avoided her re-victimization. 

Brendan’s proudest accomplishment is being father to Blake Williams.

The most-published state legislator during his tenure, Brendan also was the most visible progressive champion in the print media, on radio, and on television. The links on this website are only a sampling of his advocacy on key issues.