Das Williams taking his leadership to Sacramento

but staying based in Santa Barbara.

Elected in 2003, Williams is the most senior member of the council. He was known as an advocate for affordable housing downtown, increased bus transit routes, and higher wages for city workers.

Beyond his social policies, Williams is a staunch environmentalist, who pushed the city toward greater green awareness. Whether it was requesting that developers use solar panels for their projects, or securing money to replace leaky sewer mains to improve water quality, Williams elevated the environmental conversation at City Hall.

“I feel like there are some important things that we got done together in the last 7 years and the most important was moving the city toward this environmental sustainability in a way that saves the city money and that is a larger institutional change I hope that will continue when I am gone,” Williams said.

He was also an advocate for youth and afterschool programs, which he believes help curb gang violence

Williams wants to continue those policies in Sacramento, where he said he will immediately introduce legislation focused on creating green jobs – one of the platforms of his assembly campaign.

Williams plans to spend four days a week in Sacramento and another two days meeting with constituents locally in the 35th Assembly District.

On the 7th day, he will rest.

...“I am planning on being more active in the community, more in touch with local constituents and put more resources in local staff, doing constituent service rather in the capitol,” Williams said.- DailySound

Das Williams

inching closer to being our next State Assemblymember. Yeah!

Williams - 46,241 (52.3%)

Stoker - 42.166 (47.7%)

68% of Precincts Reporting

Das Williams speaks out against the political hit pieces

Friends,

Many of you have started receiving mailers in my race from a group calling itself the California Senior Advocates League. The reason that none of us have ever heard of this group before is because they don't represent senior issues at all - they are just a front group for the money being spent against me by the CA Chamber of Commerce PAC and the Republican Party.

If they told you the truth - that this deceptive group has been funded by oil and tobacco companies and other special interests - then voters throughout our district would know not to listen to anything they have to say. The group - which ironically is funded by interests that have lobbied against critical priorities for seniors - has spent $220,00 so far opposing my campaign and supporting my opponent.

They know that once I am elected, I will continue to be a strong protector of our environment and someone who fights for our priorities of a quality public education system and access to affordable health care. The oil and tobacco companies and others that fund this group would obviously prefer someone with my opponent's record.

One of my supporters who actually works on senior issues pointed out that the CA Congress of Seniors - a key advocacy group for seniors in California - had 22 key bills in 2010 and that the Chamber of Commerce didn't support even one of them, but the state Chamber did work hard to defeat many of the bills that would improve the lives of seniors, including a number of bills to make health insurance more affordable and to provide health insurance coverage to more Californians.

During the final days of the campaign, I will be continuing to communicate with voters throughout the district through personal contact and our mail and television ads. We are working to get our message out and to turn out our supporters on Election Day. Any last minute contribution you make will help make it possible to respond to these misleading attacks and to turn out our supporters on Election Day.

Thank you for all of your help throughout the campaign and in this final push.

Thank you.
Das

A Personal Message from Das

Don't Let Big Oil Steal This Election

Dear Friend,

Although it's hard to believe, we have now reached the final week of this long and hard-fought campaign.

Whether it's been walking precincts, phoning voters, taking part in our neighborhood teams or contributing; your efforts have been a crucial part of the success of this campaign. I am proud of how far we've come and what we've been able to accomplish together.

However, it's this final week when we expect my opponent and his supporters to make their most significant attacks against me. We are gearing up for what we expect to be a surge negative media directed at and against me -- funded by oil companies -- to try and steal the election.

DONATE NOW to ensure that our basic principles of preventing further cuts to our schools, protecting our environment and creating good middle class jobs are not at threat. If you can't donate, I hope you will contact one of our organizers to come in for a couple of hours this week and call voters to help combat my opponent's attacks.

We have one week left, but it is the most crucial one yet. Please do what you can to ensure our joint success on November 2nd.

Thank you,
Das

Das Williams - Endorsed by the Santa Barbara Independent

The Santa Barbara Independent has endorsed Das for State Assembly on the November ballot.

Few Santa Barbara politicians come as prepared, equipped, and temperamentally suited to serve in Sacramento as Das Williams, the politically restless progressive now holding down the left end of the Santa Barbara City Council. Williams is both pragmatist and ideologue, meaning he can grandstand with the best of them but also get things done. With local roots running deep, Williams will remain accessible once ensconced in the weird Twilight Zone of Sacramento. Constituent calls will be returned; their issues, addressed. The same cannot be said for the recent occupant of that seat.

Are YOU registered to vote?

Did you know you can check your status?

Have you changed your name?
Have you changed your signature?
Have you changed your address?
TIME TO RE-REGISTER!

Did you just move to Santa Barbara County?
You will need to register.
Your registration DOES NOT automatically follow you.

DATES TO REMEMBER -

LAST DAY to register for the November Election - OCTOBER 18.
If you will be out of town on Election Day, APPLY FOR VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT -(pdf)
LAST DAY to Apply for Vote by Mail ballot - OCTOBER 26

Keep in mind that the Santa Barbara County Elections office for Santa Barbara has moved from their old offices in the Naomi Schwartz building on Victoria Street to:

4440-A Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110

Their new mailing address is:
Post Office Box 61510
Santa Barbara, CA 93160-1510

Their phone numbers are remaining the same:

568-2200
800-SBCVOTE
568-2209 (fax)

Congresswoman Lois Capps endorses Das Williams

Our esteemed Congresswoman, Lois Capps, officially announced her support of Das Williams for the 35th CA State Assembly District seat.

“I am confident Das will be a real champion for Central Coast communities in Sacramento,” Capps said. “He has the right experience and a proven track record of getting things done on the issues that matter most to the residents of this district — improving schools, balancing budgets and creating jobs.” - Noozhawk

The Santa Barbara Elections Office has moved

Want to take this time to remind everyone that the Santa Barbara County Elections office for Santa Barbara has moved from their old offices in the Naomi Schwartz building on Victoria Street to:

4440-A Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110

Their new mailing address is:
Post Office Box 61510
Santa Barbara, CA 93160-1510

Their phone numbers are remaining the same:

568-2200
800-SBCVOTE
568-2209 (fax)

Remember:

• If you moved - REREGISTER!
• If you changed your party affilition - REREGISTER
• If you changed your signature - REREGISTER
• If you changed your name - REREGISTER

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Das Williams - Gives Thanks

Dear Friends and Supporters,

By now the Election Day festivities have faded away and I've had some time to reflect on our shared win. This last year has been an incredible experience for me and I have been touched by each and every one of you who has helped us get to this point.

I want to give a special thanks to all the volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy to this campaign. We've worked hard for more than a year to make this happen. Hundreds of people walked and phoned voters in the District to share our positive message of change. Our grassroots operation was unprecedented. This has always been your campaign and I believe that message was strongly voiced on Tuesday.

To all our donors who so believed in this campaign and gave what they could, when they could, thank you. I'm proud that we have over 1,000 individual donors, of which, 75% live right here in the 35th Assembly District.

The primary election victory is critical to our effort of bringing change to Sacramento, but our work continues. The general election will be a difficult fight. In the coming months we will be working to prepare to run another winning campaign in November. We must continue to spread our message of positive change that focuses on bringing real solutions to our budget crisis, building a high quality education system, protecting our environment and investing in the green economy to create good family-supporting jobs right here at home.

I am truly honored that you have chosen me to be your Democratic candidate for the 35th State Assembly District and I look forward to working together towards our victory in November.

Thank you,

Das

Das Williams gives thanks

To all those volunteers who have given so much time and energy to his true grassroots campaign.

Thanks to all the many, many volunteers who are in this fight to the end. In Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista, we are reaching thousands of people a day, reminding them where their polling stations are and to support our campaign. We're still at it and will be right up to the close of polling stations at 8pm

So..VOTE DAS...Give him your endorsement. We LOVE DAS!

If you haven't mailed your VBM Ballot yet...

DO NOT MAIL IT TODAY!!!
TAKE YOUR BALLOT TO A POLLING STATION TOMORROW INSTEAD!

If you put it in the mail today, there is no guarantee that the Elections Office will receive it by the close of polls tomorrow. And, if they don't get it in time...YOUR VOTE WON'T COUNT!

To be safe, turn in your completed VBM ballot in to ANY polling place in Santa Barbara County, tomorrow, Election Day. it does NOT have to be your polling place. That way, you can make sure your vote for Das Williams for State Assembly will count!

You can also look up the status of your VBM ballot online. Click HERE.

Today was the last day to Register to Vote

for the June 8th Primary Election.

BUT...if you are already registered, you still have time to register to receive a "Vote by Mail" ballot. The deadline to get your application for a "VBM" ballot is June 1.

Download a form at the Santa Barbara County Elections website (pdf) then mail, fax or drop it off to the Santa Barbara County Elections Office.

As a VBM voter, you can mail your ballot (make sure it is IN THE ELECTIONS OFFICE ON OR BEFORE JUNE 8) or, you can turn in your voted ballot to ANY polling place in Santa Barbara County, including the Elections Office. How easy is THAT?

Speaking of polling places, do you know where yours is? Sometimes they change. Double check HERE.

F Y I

May 10th - Vote by Mail Ballots are mailed out.

May 24th - The last day to register to vote for the June 8th Primary Election.

June 8th - California State Primary Election Day. Vote by Mail Ballots need to be in the Elections Office by this date....NOT post marked by this date.

FOR DECLINE TO STATE VOTERS:

If you are a voter who has declined to state an affiliation with a political party, you may be able to vote for a candidate of a specific party in the upcoming June 8, 2010, Statewide Direct Primary. You may request, from your county elections official or at your polling place, the ballot of the Democratic Party. To obtain information on how to request the Democratic ballot contact the county elections office.

If you do not request such a ballot, you will be given a nonpartisan ballot, containing only the names of all candidates for nonpartisan offices and measures to be voted upon at the primary election.