Clayton Williams

Clayton Williams
Personal details
Born
Clayton Wheat Williams Jr.

(1931-10-08)October 8, 1931
Alpine, Texas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 14, 2020(2020-02-14) (aged 88)
Midland, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Betty Meriwether (divorced),
Modesta Williams (his death)
Alma materTexas A&M University
OccupationBusinessman
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1954–1957

Clayton Wheat "Claytie" Williams Jr. (October 8, 1931 – February 14, 2020) was an American businessman from Midland, Texas who ran for governor in 1990. Despite securing the Republican nomination and initially leading in the polls against Democratic challenger State Treasurer Ann Richards by twenty points, Williams ultimately lost the race due in part to a comment he made about rape.[1] During the campaign Williams cultivated an image of a cowboy figure who had risen from humble roots to become a powerful business tycoon.[2] The image played well in public opinion polls. Williams often had a propensity for making poorly planned statements on the campaign trail.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference rape was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Clayton Williams". Texas Monthly. October 1990. p. 122.