Representative Tong serves the 147th District, representing parts of Stamford and New Canaan, Connecticut. Geographically the largest district in Stamford, the 147th includes Westover, North Stamford, Scofieldtown, as well as the western side of New Canaan. He serves on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce committees.

In just one term, Representative Tong quickly established himself as a leader on critical issues like criminal justice reform, unfair gasoline prices, energy market reform, education funding, and Lyme disease treatment and prevention. He made an immediate impact by introducing, writing and passing an unusually high number of major bills for a freshman. For example, Representative Tong passed the Lost & Stolen Firearms Bill, a common-sense bill to keep our families safe and to prosecute illegal gun traffickers. In prior House sessions this bill failed with only 66 votes. Representative Tong took the lead on this important bill, reached across the aisle to forge a compromise with Republican leadership, and talked to every one of the 151 state representatives. He pushed the bill through the House with 94 votes and it was signed into law.

Representative Tong worked hard to give voice to his constituents and to make their presence known in the State Capitol. He stood his ground and was one of a handful of Democratic State Representatives to oppose the Governor and his party’s leadership to defeat the largest proposed income tax increase in state history. And he did not stop there. Representative Tong drafted a major portion of a critical criminal justice reform bill passed after a tragic triple-homicide in the state, and he was appointed to manage an overhaul of the state’s criminal justice information system that spans the entire executive, judicial and legislative branches, as well as state and local law enforcement. Representative Tong leads the fight in the legislature against zone gas pricing and Big Oil, and he was a primary author of a gasoline price relief bill recently passed in special session. After years of neglect, he was able to secure a more than 30% increase in Stamford’s Education Cost Sharing grant (ECS) and more than 50% for New Canaan.

A Connecticut native, Representative Tong attended public and private schools in West Hartford. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School. Representative Tong is now an attorney with Finn Dixon & Herling LLP where he represents clients in litigation and dispute resolution. Before joining Finn Dixon & Herling, Representative Tong was an attorney with the international law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, and a Management Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He is a member of the state bars of New York and Connecticut, and regularly practices before various state and federal courts. Representative Tong formerly served as a Commissioner on the Personnel Commission of the City of Stamford, and is a member of the Advisory Board for one of Fairfield County's leading social service organizations, Person-to-Person.

Representative Tong is married to his law school classmate and colleague, Elizabeth Tong, who is a corporate tax lawyer at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP.  Elizabeth and William are proud parents of two daughters, Eleanor Ming Lan Tong and Penelope Ming Li Tong, whom they call "Ming Ming" and "Ping Ping." The Tong Family also has two fox terriers.

Representative Tong is proud to be the first Asian American to serve in the General Assembly, and the first Asian American to be elected at the state level in Connecticut's history.