Assemblymember Das Williams was elected in November 2010 and represents the 37th Assembly District, which includes over half of the County of Santa Barbara, as well as nearly a quarter of the County of Ventura.

Williams previously served as a member of the Santa Barbara City Council, a position to which he was elected in 2003. Williams led the successful efforts to expand alternative energy produced by the city to ensure that 34% of the city’s energy comes from renewable sources by 2012. Already a “green” city, he worked to continue Santa Barbara’s commitment to environmental activism by fighting to preserve open space, and keep oil wells out of coastal waters. This is in addition to his longstanding efforts to expand public transit to reduce traffic and pollution.

His years of experience at the local level give him insight that he is applying at the state level to solve similar problems. For example—despite budget cuts—Williams was able to craft a solution for local schools to avoid layoffs and expand crucial after-school programs. Further, he helped to balance the city budget without cutting vital city services, like police and firefighters, and protecting middle class jobs.

In addition to his service on the Santa Barbara City Council, Williams has been an active participant in numerous community endeavors. He served for years as a community organizer for CAUSE, a Ventura based non-profit, and headed the group’s efforts to stop a proposed big-box retail development in Ventura. Always the education advocate, Williams also served as a Trustee of Peabody Charter School. Until his election, Williams served as a national board member of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and taught at Antioch University in Santa Barbara.

Prior to his public service, Mr. Williams worked as a junior high school teacher, as well as a legislative aide to California State Assemblymember Hannah Beth Jackson, also of District 35.

Williams holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science & Management, with a focus on water pollution, planning processes, and land-use law at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science.

In the Assembly, Mr. Williams is focused on reforming the state budget process, ensuring that California children have access to a world class education, fixing the state’s dysfunctional healthcare system, and protecting the environment, primarily through reducing our state’s reliance on oil and coal.