Republican Congressional candidate for New Hampshire’s second district, Lily Tang Williams, said her message is simple: “I come here from Communist China, and this [the U.S.] is the greatest country to seek freedom, opportunity, success and work hard to achieve the American dream.” Williams shared this message and more of her priorities on Oct. 22 during a Keene State College [KSC] town hall hosted by KSC and the American Democracy Project.
Williams said she was appreciative of getting the opportunity to visit campus because she was unable to do so during the last election cycle. She added that she wished more students were present to ask questions because young people have “so much skin in the game.”
“It’s all about the government serving the people. We need to work together across aisles to come up with sensible, common-sense and good policies to benefit Granite Staters. I like to vouch for the younger generation, some of whom are still not engaged, so I appreciate Keene State trying to get them to be,” said Williams.
She continued, “What kind of country do you want to live in? How do you hold elected officials accountable? Those are important to discuss. Sometimes people complain about problems, but they don’t find out the roots to them or talk about solutions, and I think this is pretty dysfunctional and divisive.”
Williams said she was non-partisan and running as an “independent voice,” but is currently listed as a Republican on her website. She said she likes to focus on policies such as her 10-Point Good Government Plan, which includes her thoughts on congressional term limits, balanced budget amendments, lobbying and revolving-door reforms, as well as independent ethics enforcement through a non-partisan, independent congressional ethics commission.
One town hall attendee, Keene resident Wesley Felix, said he reached out to Williams regarding healthcare issues. Felix was a first responder during the collapse of the World Trade Center and is actively paying for his own health coverage. Felix shared that he has two terminal diseases: an interstitial lung disease and an autoimmune disease, and said the government “doesn’t want to recognize certain illnesses or issues.” According to Felix, nobody has helped him aside from doctors at the Cheshire Medical Centre, so he was looking to Williams for assistance because “everyone that has a political platform has a voice.”
“The point is, why am I paying for healthcare when the government lied to us? And listen, I’m a conservative family man, but what do you plan to do to help get coverage for those who were first responders, because nobody’s getting helped unless they have cancer,” said Felix. “You have a platform to get to the core of this situation created by the government. Healthcare applies to everybody, and I’ve already had friends die because they can’t afford it.”
Williams said she often gets calls from people needing help, even when she’s not an elected official. She said, “I’m all about solving problems; I don’t care what party. You’re elected to serve the people when they need your help. I have connections; I can reach out to people and make a phone call. I don’t promise I know everything, but I have an appeal to help. I will look into things and help you.”
One of Williams priorities this election cycle is Communism. She referred to herself as an “American patriot who will always protect this country,” as well as the whistleblower for Chinese-run projects in NH. Williams has been very outspoken regarding her distrust of the Chinese government and the “national risks” from the aforementioned projects.
Williams said she had concerns about pieces of land that were bought by Chinese companies and “connections between Daniel Webster College, Chester College of New England and the Chinese military.” Williams has worked with non-profits to educate college students about Communism by sharing her experiences prior to moving to the U.S. from China in 1994.
Williams credited her first-hand witnessing of “the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” as an influence behind her beliefs. In a 2021 article on the Heritage Foundation’s website, Williams described the experience of living under Chairman Mao Zedong as being like “a concentration camp.” Some aspects of Williams’ upbringing in Chengdu, Sichuan province, included overcrowded community housing that often lacked running water and electricity, food rationing, an inability to question or challenge authority and the government having complete control over what people could talk about, wear or listen to.
In addition to her concerns about Communism, Williams has been outspoken about Congress’ spending habits, the rising costs of groceries and fuel and is strongly in favor of 2nd Amendment rights and freedom of speech. In regard to data centers, Williams said she wants the U.S. to be the world leader on data centers that power artificial intelligence, but recognizes citizens’ concerns about how jobs, civil liberties, individual rights and the environment would be impacted, according to The Cabinet Press and Nashua Ink Link.
The Keene State College town hall followed Williams and Democrat Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander’s recent participation in an open-forum discussion at Brewbakers Cafe. Both events served as an opportunity for the candidates to directly address NH residents’ concerns through live-audience engagement. Williams has completed a total of 10 town hall meetings prior to the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with her final two being at KSC and Nashua Community College on Oct. 22.
When asked why she thinks town halls are important, Williams said, “This is the New Hampshire way; it’s in our blood, our genes and spirit to live free or die. Every vote is up for you to earn it; you cannot take any one vote for granted. That’s why I’m working so hard; I’m not going to rely on some big money or buying ads; I want to engage with citizens, especially our youth voters. When you talk about how to keep the country alive, how to keep our country free, how to protect our civil liberties, you need to hear from people directly.”
Samantha Menard can be contacted at
smenard@kscequinox.com
