Mary Frances Williams is a Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 37 since 2019. A lifelong resident of Marietta in Cobb County, she flipped the district from Republican to Democratic in a close 2018 election against Sam Teasley. District 37 includes communities such as Fair Oaks, Cheatham Hill, parts of East Cobb, and downtown Marietta. Her father, L. Howard “Red” Atherton, previously served as Mayor of Marietta and a state representative.

Prior to elected office, Williams spent 34 years as a legislative and public policy advocate for nonprofits serving women, children, and families. Notable achievements include restoring millions of dollars to state school nutrition programs and advocating for passage of the Family Care Act, allowing Georgians to use sick leave for ill family members. She prioritizes access to healthcare and supports universal background checks for gun ownership while keeping guns from domestic violence offenders. In the legislature, she serves on the Governmental Affairs, Natural Resources & Environment, Retirement, and State Properties Committees, opposing voter restriction bills and gerrymandering.

Williams has received awards such as the Annette Bowling Advocate of the Year , Carolyn Wetzel Advocacy Award , and Maternal and Child Health Community Service Award . She is a sustaining member and former president of the Junior League of Cobb-Marietta, past board chair of the Women’s Policy Group, and lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of Marietta. She has two adult sons, Nicholas and Benjamin, and twin grandchildren, Madison and Cooper.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from Marietta High School; Bachelor of Arts from Earlham College ; Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia.
• Political Experience: Director of Advocacy at Families First ; full-time advocacy consultant ; elected to Georgia House District 37 ; Leadership Cobb Class of 1989; Leadership Georgia Class of 1993.