In 2011, when he was a member of the California State Assembly, Das Williams voted with the majority to abolish California’s redevelopment agencies.

The move killed about $5 billion in statewide funding for redevelopment and housing projects. The money was funneled back to the state to help solve its budget deficit.

Santa Barbara’s portion of that funding was about $20 million — and $4 million, by law, was set aside annually to fund housing projects.

So, why is Williams, now in his position as First District Santa Barbara County supervisor, blaming planners, neighborhood activists and government employees for being responsible for the housing crisis, when his vote in the state legislature took money from housing?

Williams admits responsibility, sort of. He says there’s blame to go around.

“I do think that was a bad thing for housing,” Williams said. “Of course, it was only producing like one Vera Cruz apartments every few years, and that’s not enough to deal with the problem.”

Then-Gov. Jerry Brown led the effort to squash the RDAs, and the legislature followed.

“We were in the middle of a terrible budget deficit, climbing our way out of the toughest budget deficit the state has ever had,” Williams said. “I accept my part of the blame, but the blame should be shared.”

The conflict between his past vote and his current stance on housing is emblematic of the enigma of Williams, as he approaches his third term on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

Williams is a heavy favorite in his bid to keep his seat in the March 5 primary. He has raised more than $250,000, against an opponent, Carpinteria City Councilman Roy Lee, who has raised about $50,000.

Williams, long heralded as a progressive Democrat, with a change-the-world attitude and approach, has morphed from being the underdog at 29 years old when he was first elected to the Santa Barbara City Council, to the powerful, entrenched, status quo, as a 49-year-old, with eyes on higher office.

He has served in some form of office for 21 consecutive years, his chief of staff is the chair of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, and he is tightly wound with local Democratic Party activists.

However, for the first time in Williams’ politically successful career, cracks are emerging. His advocacy for the county’s cannabis ordinance, and willingness to accept $62,500 from the cannabis industry while the county was crafting the law, has earned him heavy opposition from people who say the Carpinteria Valley reeks of marijuana odor. The actual ordinance has been a financial letdown, generating tax revenues at the low end of county projections.

Williams has opposed mandatory carbon scrubbers, which residents say would reduce the smell.

Despite the criticism, he accepted $6,500 in cannabis industry contributions during this election cycle.

In another surprising development, the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee declined to endorse Williams, who has long described himself as a feminist, in his bid for a third term.

The lack of endorsement is notable because the WPC endorsed Williams four years ago, when he ran against Laura Capps. The WPC won’t say why in on-the-record interviews.

Paula Lopez, president of the committee, said in a statement: “The vote should speak for itself. We are a feminist organization; all candidates must agree with our policies.”

Neither Williams nor Lee received the group’s endorsement. The Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County also declined to endorse Williams or Lee.

There have been other political setbacks. He applied to serve on the California Coastal Commission in 2021, but activists locally campaigned against him, and instead got behind current Commissioner Meagan Harmon, a member of the Santa Barbara City Council.

The criticism may not matter to him in 2024. That’s because Williams is playing the long game. He has never been shy about his ambitions.

When he was on the Santa Barbara City Council, in his first term, he challenged Janet Wolf for the Second District supervisor’s seat. He lost, placing third.

At the time, he was still a political outsider, challenging the system. The loss delivered him a rare dose of humility. He regrouped, and embraced the party system.

The defeat taught him that it’s easier to win with the local Democratic Party on your side.

He told Noozhawk that his next political move is an open question.

His options would be running for State Senate or Congress.

“They would both be options — so is staying,” said Williams, adding that whatever he chooses, climate change would be his focus.

Luz Reyes-Martin, a member of the Goleta City Council and a political ally of Williams, said he has worked “tirelessly” to address climate challenges and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

“The City of Goleta is a member of Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), along with the County of Santa Barbara,” Reyes-Martin said. “As the policy board chair for 3CE, Supervisor Williams has strongly advocated for ambitious goals to generate and deliver clean, renewable energy to our communities.”

Williams also touted that role as one of his policy successes.

He said it allowed him to increase renewable energy throughout the region, including “securing a contract for 200 megawatts of compressed air storage, the first such facility in the state, and doubled the amount of electric vehicle rebates funded per year.”

Williams is most comfortable speaking with sweeping statements about climate change, housing and public transit.

Among the few individuals to go on the record with their concerns about Williams is Joyce Dudley, retired district attorney.

In a letter to her supporters, she made the following statement about Williams: “I do not find him to be a man of his word or someone who puts the interests of his constituents above his own.”

Williams told Noozhawk that the rift was over the fact that the Board of Supervisors would not give Dudley a $6,000 annual raise before her retirement.

“We wouldn’t give her a raise six months before she retired that would have cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. That’s what changed her mind,” Williams said.

Williams, however, in May of 2023, did vote to give himself and the other board members a 5% raise.

Williams said he is proud of his accomplishments and that criticisms are from just a few people with personal gripes.

He said people will criticize him whether or not he takes cannabis money. After he took $62,500 from cannabis contributors in 2019, before running for his second term, he made a public pledge not to take anymore cannabis industry money.

He told Noozhawk this week that the pledge was regarding accepting contributions with a hearing coming up, but there is no such hearing pending now.

“The reason I took the pledge is because I do think it is weird to take it when they are going to have a hearing in a couple of months,” Williams said. “I have tried to avoid doing that. There’s now a state law that governs that.”

Williams said that for this election cycle, his cannabis contributions are only 6% of his entire fundraising total. When asked why he needs to accept the money if it so insignificant, Williams said fundraising is a necessary part of campaigning.

“It’s against my nature not to run a campaign,” Williams said. “I think it is important to run a campaign. It is an opportunity to connect with people. It’s an opportunity to answer questions.”

He said critics will find a way not to like him regardless of whether he accepts cannabis dollars.

“It doesn’t make a difference if I do or don’t,” Williams said. “They still say the same thing.”

Williams rejects any insinuation that he is not straightforward in how he approaches policy.

“I don’t think I tell people what they want to hear,” Williams said, noting that he learned from former Gov. Brown. “Did I tell people what they wanted to hear on the nets? No.”

Williams opposed county efforts to fund the Montecito ring nets, which were installed after the deadly Jan. 9, 2018, debris flows. The county and the organizations that installed the nets could not reach an agreement on funding their ongoing maintenance.

Williams’ First District includes all of Montecito.

The supervisor cited several accomplishments during his tenure, such as working with Save the San Marcos Foothills to ensure protection of that land in perpetuity, including county funding.

He said he worked with Santa Barbara County Flood Control to complete construction on the new Randall Road Debris Basin in Montecito, and to enlarge, repair and clean out numerous basins in Montecito, Carpinteria and Goleta.

He said he supported the development of new, critical mental health beds for those found to be incompetent to stand trial.

Williams also partnered with the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade and other community organizations to continue creation of new walking paths at identified locations throughout Montecito to increase pedestrian safety and add more safe routes to schools.

He said he also worked with the Mission Canyon Association to respond to and assist with the restoration of Tunnel Trail and Mission Creek.

Williams added that he advocated for increased funding for homeless services, programs, units, and encampment clean-ups.

The supervisor also co-sponsored, with Second District Supervisor Laura Capps, a county ordinance to increase tenant protections around renovictions, to allow tenants first right of return, after a mass eviction of students and families in Isla Vista in 2023.

On housing, Williams received criticism from Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse and Councilman Eric Friedman after he led the charge to shoot down a $1.1 million housing grant at a Santa Barbara County Association of Governments meeting.

Two committees prioritized the funding for a La Cumbre Plaza housing specific plan. Williams spoke out in the meeting against the plan, saying it would delay a 700-unit project by the local developers.

The specific plan would have helped city planners create a map for possibly 2,000 units, working with other developers in the plaza. A specific plan would have allowed for more housing and taken traffic impacts, circulation, infrastructure and impacts on schools, more broadly into consideration.

Williams said the grant money would have delayed housing, and then criticized planners and design review boards for slowing down the process.

Williams the next year accepted a $250 campaign contribution from the developers.

“At the end of the day, a grant for housing should not be used to delay housing,” Williams said.

Of the campaign contribution, Williams said it was “long after” the SBCAG meeting. The donation came one year after the SBCAG vote.

Williams stands by his actions and record

“A better world is worth fighting for, but it takes sustained effort,” Williams said. “Each day my team and I work, with experience and passion, to solve the challenges our community faces.”