According to recent campaign reports filed with the state of California, Das Williams, candidate for the 35th District Assembly seat, has raised more funds than any another Democratic assembly candidate in California. The Santa Barbara City Council member announced in a Feb. 2 press release that his campaign officially raised more than $330,000 as of the Dec. 31 reporting deadline. Williams’ official campaign report showed that 75 percent of his contributors came from within the 35th Assembly District and that close to half of his contributors were grassroots donors who gave $100 or less. “My campaign is all about building a grassroots movement united in the goal of changing the direction California is headed,” Williams said in the release. “It’s truly unfortunate that as California’s budget deficit has continued to mount, Sacramento politicians have remained focused on bickering and finger-pointing, and have time and again failed to come together to solve our state’s problems. People are struggling and frustrated right now, and they want results—not rhetoric.” Williams is running to succeed fellow Democrat Pedro Nava, who is unable to run for the position again due to term limits.
This article appears in Feb 11-18, 2010.