After a month of counting, actor Anson Williams officially lost his mayoral bid in Ojai, California, on Wednesday, according to the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
The official final results, released on Dec. 7, showed Williams trailing with 1,781 votes to current Ojai Mayor Betsy Stix’s 1,823 votes.
The actor who starred as Potsie in the hit 1970s and ’80s sitcom “Happy Days” previously said he would request a recount in the tight race.
Williams, 72, ran on a platform heavily dosed with sustainable environmental policies as well as basic quality-of-life issues for the city.
The No. 1 priority listed on his campaign website was a pledge to “Incentivize climate-change resilience and mitigation” in Ojai, with the creation of a commission to find the “best practices and policies to lower Ojai’s carbon footprint,” and “promote incentives to encourage the use of conservation and renewable energy.”
Williams told reporters even if he lost the race, his campaign has drawn needed public awareness to the mayor’s office and city council on important local issues.
After announcing his candidacy at an Ojai City Council meeting in July, Williams received immediate support from his acting buddy Henry “The Fonz” Winkler, who posted “You have my vote” on Twitter.
On his website, Williams said he was running because of his love for the city.
“The heart of this healing community saved my life when I was recovering from cancer and blessed me with the love of my soulmate. But in the last couple of years, I’ve sensed a troubling change. Divisiveness and conflict are tearing us apart at a time when we need to pull together. It’s time for new leadership,” he said. “Let’s bring back the spirit of Ojai and protect the community we love.”
Changing the world is in Williams’ DNA. His uncle, Dr. Henry Judah Heimlich, invented the “Heimlich Maneuver” to save choking victims.
Williams was also able to claim substantial experience in impacting the world from his directing/producing career.
“My life skills as a director and producer have prepared me to be a highly effective mayor. Called on to lead large groups of people with conflicting ideas and different points of view, I’ve learned the power of collaboration, working together for the greater good,” he said.
He continued: “Combining this skill with my interest in public service, I convinced Merv Griffin to introduce my uncle’s life-saving Heimlich Maneuver to the world. Ron Howard and I cast the first disabled actress in a film that was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. An ABC special I directed, ‘No Greater Gift,’ helped double organ donors in the United States. And I was proud to serve three years on the board of the USO as Director of Entertainment for our troops overseas.”
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