Deborah Says Das Pressed Her to Quit the Race, Calls Dem Party Tactics Shameful

By Jerry Roberts of Newsmakers
In a private email, SB mayoral candidate Deborah Schwartz told key supporters over the weekend that Supervisor and local Democratic honcho Das Williams urged her to drop out the race and back incumbent Cathy Murillo -- then asked if the party could "offer" her something in return.
What Das says
Williams, in a text message, acknowledged meeting with Schwartz about the mayor's race, but took issue with her characterization of the conversation.
"I was not heavy-handed," Das said."You may remember that I helped get her on the Planning Commission and worked very hard for her (previous unsuccessful bid for) election to City Council.
She said she responded by calling Das and castigating him for failing to call out, as a de facto leader of the party, what she sees as reprehensible behavior by some Dem insiders and their allies. Among her concerns:
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"Slanderous" attacks on Nina Johnson, the longtime City Hall staffer who is challenging Harmon in District 6, which she said have included formal complaints by party apparatchiks about errors in her campaign finance reports, picketing at an open event she held to meet voters and an effort to get Dem Women to withdraw its earlier endorsement of Johnson for being "anti-Democratic."
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"Outrageous" comments by former party chair Daraka Larimore-Hall on the SB Talks podcast, in which he insulted Schwartz, Sneddon and school board member Laura Capps -- all Democrats -- in addition to demeaning mayoral candidate James Joyce III - a loyal Democrat -- for having challenged party-endorsed candidates at various times.
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A "threatening Google text message" that she, Schwartz, has received, which she connected to the "desperation" of some party leaders about Murillo losing, and which she said she has forwarded to the Santa Barbara Police Department: "I am watching my safety," she said.
Schwartz also noted that even if, hypothetically, she did drop out and endorse Murillo, her backers would not follow her, given that her entire campaign has been premised on the need for change in culture and operations of City Hall under the mayor's leadership.
"My supporters would never vote for Cathy Murillo," she said.
Power Rankings
Seven days is an eternity in politics (although, to be sure, it's a, um, shorter eternity in an all-mail election in which many ballots already have been cast. But we digress), and things can change quickly - but one week out, here is our totally unscientific, fact-free view of where things stand, according to the book maintained by Las Vegas bureau correspondent Tony (Little Tuna) Tagliatelle.
1-Randy Rowse. The sudden outbreak of Democratic in-fighting and sturm und drang underscores his campaign message about the corrosive effect partisanship has had on City Hall, and the latest e-blast by Dem chair Darcel Elliott, linking him by not-very-sly innuendo to Donald Trump, highlights the desperation with which Team Cathy views his campaign.
2-Cathy Murillo. In a low-information local election, don't underestimate the importance and effectiveness of the squadrons of volunteer precinct walkers the Dem Party turns out every weekend for its candidates, and don't forget that campaigning door-to-door is what Happy Cathy does best, certainly far better than governing.
3-James Joyce. The collegiate track man has all the momentum in the race as it heads to the final stretch but from where we're watching up in the nosebleed seats, it looks like he waited too long to turn on the burners, and simply has too much ground to make up. Whatever happens, however, he's established himself as a player on the local political scene.
4-Deborah Schwartz. Deborah thought the mayors race would be all about policy, not power-brokering. She declined to identify by name any of the Democratic Party "core group" she says created a toxic political atmosphere, but here's a wild guess at who would lead off such a list: Das, Darcel and Daraka.
5-Mark Whitehurst. Nice full-page ad in his own newspaper.
6-Matt Kilrain. Leads the field in appearances in police reports.
Don't forget to vote.
86 Comments
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Oct 26, 2021 12:08 PMTelling the truth should never be politically "risky". How damning is that admission on its own face? Good for you Deborah for making this party machine attack public. You have labored in the trenches and don't deserve being undercut by your own chosen political party. Along with former city councilman Randy Rowse, who actually has the most balanced public and private resume for this top city job, you two make a good case why it is long overdue to take partisan politics out of our local non-partisan races. National party politics simply do not belong at the local level or on our local school boards. Proof for this has just been presented. Why would one national political party want to strong-arm a local race? What prizes do these national party honchos have to dangle as rewards, for their ham-handed attempt to skew local voter outcomes?
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Oct 26, 2021 04:45 PMThank you and I agree. These races should be non partisan.
Elected officials should publicly remain neutral and not endorse anyone. Their job is to work with and represent the people and the issues specific to their districts. They should be coordinated - with leadership from the Mayor and others on council - to find consensus and to do the best for all. Sadly, what we are witnessing is not democratic and it is resulting in friction and division. This is not a good path. We need change.
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Oct 26, 2021 05:36 PMUnder the California Constitution these local seats ARE non-partisan. It is the local Democratic Party Central Committee that has continually waged war by maligning good, smart capable candidates and 'clearing the field' to make these races hyper-partisan. Welcome to the sausage-making at the local Dem Central Committee! Where 2-3 people, one of whom is Das, and his employee Darcel, and their best friend Lee Heller, decide your future!
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Oct 26, 2021 07:26 PMThey are non-partisan but they are not non-ideological. Thus everyone to the right of center is supporting Rowse, but are grossly disingenuous about it.
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Oct 26, 2021 08:35 PMNot quite sure how anyone (left, right, center) can justify a vote for Murillo, kilrain or Joyce…
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Oct 27, 2021 09:19 AMByzantium, yeah, agreed, and also you should try and get away from your intensely partisan politics as well.
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Oct 26, 2021 12:20 PMThe Montecito Journal weighed in this morning: https://www.montecitojournal.net/2021/10/26/dcc-puts-thumbs-on-the-scale-for-its-curated-cadre-of-candidates/ .
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Oct 26, 2021 12:44 PMMatt Kilrain is a joke, I can't believe he has people that would really vote for him.
Hasn't Murillo been accused of doing similar shady things?
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Oct 27, 2021 03:08 PMMurillo embodies dirty campaigning. Her tactics: whisper campaigns that their opponent can't win, or is a racist Republican Trump supporter. Everyone be afraid of those conservatives if you don't vote for Cathy! Boo! They pull yard signs of other candidates. She threatened the Chamber when they didn't endorse her (again). Don't be surprised if they're gathering ballots at apartment buildings where former voters moved out and didn't change their registration.
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Oct 26, 2021 01:11 PMIf the DCC was all powerful, they would never let the vote get split among the liberal candidates like it has in the last 2 elections, hurting Murillo both times. But I can't bring myself to vote for any candidate that received illegal contributions from developers.
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Oct 26, 2021 05:51 PMPlease question the legality of all contributions. Illegal contributions are not unique to anyone group and can come from anywhere - even unions, or a political party, or a property owner, or a business, or a private citizen, or a developer. We could fix this if we could get the money out of our politics and spent more time with each other listening and speaking directly - not through costly mailers, tv adds, and signs.
We all have our "interests". All are important to make up the unique character of our community. Every candidate got $ from groups who felt the candidate was aligned with their special interest.
I ask you to keep in mind that without developers, Santa Barbara would not be the stunning city between the mountains and the ocean that we are so proud of and that we tour around with our vacationing friends. Every beautiful structure in Santa Barbara had to be thoughtfully developed and constructed by teams of very skilled people - many of whom are your neighbors and probably your friends.
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Oct 26, 2021 06:41 PMAllears--really, you want us to praise money grubbing capitalists that buy their way to further enrichment??? SB's natural geography is what is stunning. Developers did not enhance that. Individuals who stood in the way of developers deserve credit to a degree. For example the creation of Alice Keck apartment where a high rise condo was to be constructed. Or the denial of condominium plans for a multi story couple of buildings on the upper east. Or the proposal to build a freeway along the northerly mountains to facilitate traffic flow. Etc.
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Oct 26, 2021 07:23 PMThe skilled people who work for developers are not developers.
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Oct 26, 2021 08:53 PMCongratulations - sounds like you've caught the financial smear smallpox DCC passed along through their "blanket gifts." Downtown business owners want change. Downtown residents want change. DCC sets a magnifying glass to contributions that are similar across the board - they just know how to play the legal complaint game better than a first-time opponent to an appointed incumbent. Take a clear look at all contributions before making a decision.
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Oct 27, 2021 08:39 AM@6:41, do you live in a home or apartment building? Who do you think built that or did you do it with your own two hands? Your place of business, is it a farm, or building that a developer once risked his time and money to build?
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Oct 26, 2021 01:49 PMUnfortunate even local politics is disgusting and disingenuous.
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Oct 26, 2021 01:59 PMI love how local elections always come down to the last few days with the drama! Grabbing popcorn. Already voted. Go Deborah!
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Oct 26, 2021 02:04 PMThis is another reason why I am going with James Joyce. Above board, congenial, inclusive, and a good listener with policy experience working for former Senator Hanna Beth Jackson.. When asked at a recent event how he felt about his competition he said that he focuses on his efforts and does not get distracted.. like an athlete near the finish line. I appreciated his refreshing response and calm confidence.
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Oct 27, 2021 12:41 PMMost people I know and respect are going for James Joyce. Randy will get nothing done as Mayor - we can't go back to the past, and that's where he lives. Sorry - we need a leader who can navigate the future. ABC for sure, but James would be best overall.
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Oct 26, 2021 02:24 PMWe have to go with Rowse or Schwartz… the rest of this crowd is just a disaster…
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Oct 27, 2021 09:25 AMI'm actually waffling between Joyce, Rowse, and Schwartz. Which means as long as one of them wins, I'm probably fine.
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Oct 27, 2021 03:09 PMI'm going with Joyce.
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Oct 26, 2021 02:48 PMJoyce is pure machine. The local revolving door farm club moving up the political machine party ladder. Get rid of all of them - break their lock on the slow and steady decline of this city. No more Hannah-Beth Jackson wannabes, no more family legacy entitlements like Capps, Sneddon and Schwartz, no more new faces already sold out to machine political agendas like Limon and Harmon, no more tired old faces with failed track records like Das Williams and Gregg Hart. Can we finally breathe the fresh air of people running who are not 100% dependent upon pleasing their national political party's desire to take over every single public office and have them parrot only the national political party agenda? Look for those who have rolled up their sleeved locally and proven by stint of public service their care about the city and not their next political career move.
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Oct 26, 2021 07:20 PMByzantium is pure machine ... completely predictable.
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Oct 26, 2021 02:56 PMDemocrat leadership is afraid of Randy -- A great reason to vote for Randy.
Let's vote out Das the next time he runs.
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Oct 26, 2021 06:59 PMNo question Randy Rowse is a good guy. Paradise Cafe was the best and I miss it.
Meanwhile, on council for all those years, RR did some good things, but either did not realize how essential ongoing construction of housing is, or he didn't have the fortitude needed to unite the community to get it. If he had, I think we would be in a far better place now.
In this race, certainly, he would be an improvement over the current situation and I will support him if he wins, but I think that other choices are better to bring us together and to move us forward in a new way.
Agree about the changes needed at the Dem Party level! Absolutely!
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Oct 26, 2021 07:19 PMParadise Cafe was the best because of Jim, not Randy ... not that that has anything to do with what kind of mayor he would be.
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Oct 26, 2021 03:02 PMDriving around town one sees far more Randy Rowse signs than any other candidate. Some streets are nothing but a sea of his turquoise-colored signs. Always healthy to see residents making their case public for the candidate they think will serve the city best. And yes, other signs are also seen, but the overwhelming public display is for Rowse. Good job, Randy. One could hear a collective sigh of relief when Randy tossed his hat in the ring. More than ever, we need to get back to the basics of running the city for its residents. And yes, for taxpayers to see value in return for what they are asked to invest in it every year. No more squandering Measure C monies. We need to finally get our roads and sidewalks fixed and the police station built. That is where our trust was placed when Measure C was passed. Just do it.
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Oct 26, 2021 08:02 PMI am surprised at the number of Boat Rat Matt signs I’ve seen. It will be interesting to see how many votes he gets.
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Oct 27, 2021 08:31 AMWell he has nothing else to do but make those signs so….yeah, WWG1WGA as he would say.
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Oct 27, 2021 09:31 PMYes, Randy is favored by property owners. Also, those opposed to him are split 3 ways.
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Oct 26, 2021 03:17 PMHas anyone asked Joyce how he would change/get rid of fiesta? Seems to be one of the few concrete things he’s actually said he’d do…
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Oct 26, 2021 03:20 PMWhere and how is james Joyce building a sea wall in SB to fight climate change?
James Joyce III: Climate resiliency is a big issue for this community and a big part of my campaign. The simple answer is: build a seawall
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Oct 26, 2021 08:04 PMSea walls mess up the coastline adjacent to the walls. Lots of unintended consequences. Must be studied verrrrry thoroughly.
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Oct 26, 2021 03:57 PMDas was probably going to give her some free reefer if she backed Murillo
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Oct 26, 2021 05:06 PMI agree that "old school" democrats in town are fighting dirty in this election, and am not surprised to have seen the Montecito Journal's reprint of Lee Heller's email to the Democratic Women asking them to withdraw their nomination of Nina Johnson, either. Also seen - Salud Carbajal's local chief attacking Nina's donors in the Independent, without identifying her day job. The bottom line is that Cathy Murrillo is helpful to Das Williams because she will never do more than rubber stamp other people's ideas. Meagan Harmon is helpful on the Coastal Commission for the same reason. When original thinkers who will get things done come onto the scene they pose a threat because they are going to put the city's best interests ahead of the status quo. That is not such a bad thing.
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Oct 27, 2021 09:29 PMAsking people to act in their own best interests is not "fighting dirty". Donald Trump and the GOP fights dirty.
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Oct 26, 2021 05:06 PMWhat is so surprising here? This is exactly what the DNC did to Bernie Sanders. Granted, he was always an independent and so maybe a bit of an interloper but still, many on the democrat party voting side wanted him but no, they had to crown their queen which backfired on them big time, deservedly so [watching them writhe and scream for 4 years was poetic justice]. Nothing surprising that it's happening on the local level too. The Democrat Party is far from what it used to be.
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Oct 27, 2021 09:27 AMI don't think what the DNC did to Bernie was right, but it wouldn't have mattered. He was too far left for the majority of Democrats. Had he won the nomination, I would not have voted for him, nor would most Democrats that I know. Most of my SB "bubble" just can't fathom that, but I did not grow up here, and my cohort is much wider.
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Oct 27, 2021 10:21 AMLETMEGO, so if the choice was Bernie or Trump, what, you would have sat out?
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Oct 27, 2021 09:27 PM"what the DNC did to Bernie" is largely mythology. Like or not (I didn't particularly) Hillary got millions more votes.
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Oct 28, 2021 02:30 PMIt doesn't matter what I would have done, living here in California (probably gone 3rd party). Trump won, but I can tell you he would have won by a LOT more if he'd been running against Bernie.
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Oct 26, 2021 06:06 PMPublic employee unions are not non-partisan. Money, big money is on the table. Our money. The local uni-party wants their hands on that money. Therein hangs the tale why our previously normal local elections went from community consensus building, to become vicious take no prisoner uniparty partisan blood baths. This is why we see the same names getting recycled over and over again. And the playing field is strewn with the bodies of some very well-meaning and capable local candidates, who we will now never see again. Once and done after they get ground up by the partisan mean machine. This should not be happening on the local level where we all have the chance to get to personally know each candidate. Let's hope this past campaign mold is broken this time, and we get back to community concerns and truly non-partisan community players who still rise to public service as an honor; not an entitlement. No more partisan funded uni-party astro-turf. Back to meet and greet grass roots. And please do support your chosen candidate with your time and money - machine politics have made running for office very expensive, in order to compete with their public employee union member supported war chests.
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Oct 26, 2021 06:23 PMDisappointed to see men at the helm of the Democratic ship intimidating and shutting down experienced and passionate women/POC leaders in our communities. Have these past few years not taught us anything?!
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Oct 27, 2021 03:10 PMAmen, Downtown Girl.
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Oct 26, 2021 07:06 PMI remember the former owners of the Burger Bus blamed Rowse for the stricter city rules on food trucks stating he shouldn't vote due to the a conflict of interest with his restaurant Paradise Cafe. The Burger Bus closed soon after and for that, I will not vote for Rowse. I miss those burgers.
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Oct 26, 2021 07:16 PMDas asked her not to be stupid and self-centered. Tough ask, apparently.
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Oct 26, 2021 07:38 PMVote for Randy BEACUSE he sacked the Burger Bus! The burgers were relatively expensive and mediocre, in my opinion. I'm sorry, but Burger Bus?? Laughable. Let's get focused on the present...#realissues
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Oct 27, 2021 07:34 AMBasic - I think the broader issue is if Randy "sacked the Burger Bus" by making it harder for all the food trucks to operate in SB because he was protecting his and other restaurant owners.... But I agree with you on the Burger Bus burger being nothing special.
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Oct 26, 2021 08:32 PMWhen two incumbents run for city council they both have the opportunity to express their ideas and their district chooses who they would like to represent them! Meagan Harmon, why do you have your followers harass Nina Johnson and City Folk who wanted to learn more about her vision during her Meet and Greet event in front of The Daily Grind? You should focus more on explaining why you failed to give your district a voice versus attacking/trying to silence Nina while meeting with locals so she could amplify their voices and concerns!
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