# Das Williams

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Williams
> Source revision: 1349844521
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American politician (born 1974)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name            = Das Williams
| image           = Das Williams.jpg
| alt             =
| office          = Former Member of the [Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors](/source/Santa_Barbara_County_Board_of_Supervisors) from the 1st District
| term_start      = January 2, 2017
| term_end        = 2025
| predecessor     = [Salud Carbajal](/source/Salud_Carbajal)
| successor       = Roy Lee (elect)
| state_assembly2 = California
| district2       = [37th](/source/California's_37th_State_Assembly_district)
| term_start2     = December 6, 2010
| term_end2       = November 30, 2016
| predecessor2    = [Pedro Nava](/source/Pedro_Nava_(politician))
| successor2      = [Monique Limón](/source/Monique_Lim%C3%B3n)
| prior_term2     = [35th](/source/California's_35th_State_Assembly_district) district (2010–2012)
| office3         = [Santa Barbara](/source/Santa_Barbara%2C_California) City Councilmember
| term_start3     = December 4, 2002
| term_end3       = December 6, 2010
| predecessor3    = 
| successor3      = 
| birth_name      = Dohassen Gault-Williams
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1974|6|29}}
| birth_place     = [Soldotna, Alaska](/source/Soldotna%2C_Alaska), U.S.
| death_date      = 
| death_place     = 
| party           = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States))
| spouse          = Jonnie Erika Williams
| children        = 2
| alma_mater      = [University of California, Santa Barbara](/source/University_of_California%2C_Santa_Barbara)
| occupation      = 
| profession      = [Community organizer](/source/Community_organizing)
| signature       = 
| website         = 
| footnotes       =  
}}

'''Dohassen Gault-Williams''' (born June 29, 1974), better known as '''Das Williams''', is an American [politician](/source/politician) who previously served as County Supervisor on the [Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors](/source/Santa_Barbara_County_Board_of_Supervisors). He represented the First District, which encompasses [Carpinteria](/source/Carpinteria%2C_California), most of [Santa Barbara](/source/Santa_Barbara%2C_California), and parts of the [Los Padres National Forest](/source/Los_Padres_National_Forest). In 2024, Williams was defeated for re-election in a bid for his second term by [Carpinteria](/source/Carpinteria%2C_California) City Councilman Roy Lee by a 49%-51% margin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://files.countyofsb.org/care/elections/results/2024march05/certified-results.htm|title=Statement of Votes Cast Election Summary Report – Santa Barbara County Elections – March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election – Certified Results|publisher=[County of Santa Barbara](/source/Santa_Barbara_County%2C_California)|access-date=April 8, 2024}}</ref>

He formerly served in the [California State Assembly](/source/California_State_Assembly), representing the [37th district](/source/California's_37th_State_Assembly_district), encompassing parts of [Santa Barbara](/source/Santa_Barbara_County%2C_California) and [Ventura](/source/Ventura_County%2C_California) counties. Before being elected to the state assembly, he was a member of the [Santa Barbara](/source/Santa_Barbara%2C_California) City Council. He is a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Santa Barbara City Council Candidate Profiles |work=www.newspress.com |url=http://www.newspress.com/profiles2003/profile092903.html |access-date=2019-06-04}}</ref>

==Background==
Williams is of Indonesian descent through his maternal grandfather.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Welsh |first=Nick |date=2024-05-09 |title=Supervisor Williams Reflects on Indonesian Roots for AAPI Heritage Month |url=https://www.independent.com/2024/05/08/supervisor-williams-reflects-on-indonesian-roots-for-aapi-heritage-month/ |access-date=2026-04-14 |website=The Santa Barbara Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>

Before embarking in politics, Williams worked as a junior high school teacher and a legislative aide to then-assemblymember [Hannah-Beth Jackson](/source/Hannah-Beth_Jackson).

Williams holds a master's degree in Environmental Science & Management, with a focus on water pollution, planning processes, and land-use law from the [University of California, Santa Barbara](/source/University_of_California%2C_Santa_Barbara)'s [Bren School of Environmental Science & Management](/source/Bren_School_of_Environmental_Science_%26_Management) in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.countyofsb.org/1632/First-District |title=Das Williams First District Supervisor |website=countyofsb.org |accessdate=April 28, 2022}}</ref> As a UC grad, Williams has opposed fee increases for the UC system.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-11-19 |title=Assemblyman Williams Issues Statement on Proposed UC Fee Increase |agency=[Noozhawk](/source/Noozhawk) |url=http://www.noozhawk.com/article/assemblyman_williams_issues_statement_on_proposed_uc_fee_increase |access-date=2016-09-05}}</ref>

Williams got his start in politics as a member of the Santa Barbara City Council while still in graduate school, serving from 2003 until 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Das Williams |url=https://www.latinocaucusofcaliforniacounties.org/members-blog/das-williams-rc4k6 |access-date=2026-04-14 |website=Latino Caucus of California Counties |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the State Assembly, Das led the effort to pass a new gun control measure after the [2014 Isla Vista shootings](/source/2014_Isla_Vista_killings); similar policies have since been adopted nationwide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Firearms Checks Sought after Isla Vista Shootings|date=June 11, 2014|url=https://www.scpr.org/news/2014/06/11/44669/isla-vista-shootings-firearms-checks-sought-after/|access-date=October 18, 2019|archive-date=October 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018040807/https://www.scpr.org/news/2014/06/11/44669/isla-vista-shootings-firearms-checks-sought-after/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow, Das was instrumental in passing ordinances that allowed homeowners to rebuild their lost property quickly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board Approves Like for Like Building code update |url=https://readysbc.org/additional-resources/recovery-enews/board-approves-like-for-like-building-code-update |access-date=October 18, 2019 |archive-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203194202/https://readysbc.org/additional-resources/recovery-enews/board-approves-like-for-like-building-code-update/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After terming out of the State Assembly in 2016, Williams successfully ran for Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, where he served from 2017 until 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lundy |first=Matt |date=2025-01-17 |title=Former State Legislator and Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams Joins Central Coast Community Energy as Senior Advisor of Policy and Legislative Affairs » California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) |url=https://cal-cca.org/former-state-legislator-and-santa-barbara-county-supervisor-das-williams-joins-central-coast-community-energy-as-senior-advisor-of-policy-and-legislative-affairs/ |access-date=2026-04-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==2014 California State Assembly==
{{see also|California State Assembly elections, 2014}}
{{Election box open primary begin no change
| title = [California's 37th State Assembly district](/source/California's_37th_State_Assembly_district) election, 2014
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = California Democratic Party
| candidate = Das Williams ([incumbent](/source/incumbent))
| votes = 43,124
| percentage = 57.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = California Republican Party
| candidate = Ron DeBlauw
| votes = 32,110
| percentage = 42.7
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 75,234
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = California Democratic Party
| candidate = Das Williams ([incumbent](/source/incumbent))
| votes = 75,452
| percentage = 58.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = California Republican Party
| candidate = Ron DeBlauw
| votes = 53,414
| percentage = 41.4
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 128,866
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = California Democratic Party
}}
{{Election box end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{URL| https://www.daswilliams2020.com | 2020 Campaign website}}
* {{URL| http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/13700 | Join California - Das Williams}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Das}}
Category:1974 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Soldotna, Alaska
Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni
Category:People from Carpinteria, California
Category:Politicians from Santa Barbara, California
Category:California city council members
Category:American community activists
Category:Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly
Category:21st-century members of the California State Legislature
Category:American people of Indonesian descent
Category:Asian-American state legislators
Category:Asian-American state legislators in California

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Das Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Williams) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Williams?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.