With the latest batch of votes released by the County of Santa Barbara elections office, challenger Roy Lee retained his lead over incumbent Das Williams by more than 500 votes.
The elections office confirmed that there are fewer than 2,000 votes still to process in the entire county, and only a small portion of those might impact this district race.
Roy Lee, a city council member from Carpinteria, was considered a long shot against Williams, but Lee said his message resonated with voters in Carpinteria and throughout the county.
“Here in Carpinteria it was about cannabis, in Montecito it was talking about the ring nets, the debris nets, the Hot Springs trail, and in Santa Barbara, development. Those issues all compounded into having a big effect in this election,” he said.
Carpinteria is dealing with the strong smell of cannabis farms, it’s an issue that has not been addressed to the community’s satisfaction.
Lee said when he takes office, he’ll get to work on his campaign promises. In the meantime, he plans to get up to speed on county issues.
“I will be focusing on listening. Learning about the county, learning about all the issues, meeting with different neighborhoods and associations,” he said.
Lee praised Williams for his years of service and hard work for the county.
Das Williams is a familiar name in Santa Barbara. In addition to County Supervisor, he has held several elected positions.
Williams issued a statement yesterday saying it’s been an honor to serve this community for over 21 years and thanking voters for electing him in the past.
