Bill Durston for House of Representatives

Background:

Bill grew up in California's Santa Clara Valley and was president and valedictorian of his high school class. Rather than go directly on to college, though, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Marines at the height of the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam with the Marines elite 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, and was decorated for bravery under combat. Bill's experience in Vietnam left him with a deep disdain for war, and for politicians who send others to war, but who never served in combat themselves. (Bill wrote a song in 2005, "War is Not a Game," which can be heard on the Durston for Congress website.)

Following military service, Bill graduated first in his class in Biochemistry at U.C. Berkeley and entered Medical School at the University of California, San Francisco, where he was a Regent's Scholar. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine and has practiced in Sacramento for over 25 years.

Bill served as Assistant Chief of the Kaiser, Sacramento Emergency Department from 1982-1985 and Chief of the Kaiser, South Sacramento Emergency Department from 1985-1989. He helped found the UC Davis/Kaiser Emergency Medicine Residency in 1989, and he served as Associate Residency Director from 1989-2002. He has received awards for being an outstanding teacher and an outstanding researcher.

Bill also served as Injury Prevention Chairperson of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (Cal/ACEP), and on the Cal/ACEP Board of Directors. He has helped craft state legislation related to injury prevention, and he has testified on numerous occasions before committees of the California State Legislature. He received a special Cal/ACEP Injury Prevention Award in 2002 for service to the people of California.

Bill served several years on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and he helped re-form the Sacramento chapter in 2003. He served as PSR/Sacramento president from 2003 until stepping down to run for Congress.

In February of 2006, a group of concerned citizens approached Bill to ask if he would consider running against the Republican incumbent, Dan Lungren, in California's 3rd Congressional District. After careful thought, Bill decided that running for Congress was the most tangible thing that he could do to help change the direction of our country. Though he did not succeed in defeating Lungren in 2006, Bill and his supporters built a tremendous grass roots network, and Bill stayed true to his commitment to never compromise his principles.

Bill returned to working as a full-time emergency physician after the November 2006 election. In the fall of 2007, at the urging of his many supporters, and out of a deep sense of duty to his country and commitment to the principles upon which it was founded, Bill announced that he would run again for Congress in 2008.

Bill and his wife, Diane, high school debate partners, have been married for over 38 years. The family has lived in Gold River, in Congressional District 3, since 1982. Bill and Diane have two grown children, Annie, and Jeff. They enjoy many family activities together, including backpacking, cross-country skiing, cycling, music, and dancing.

Goals:

"I am running for Congress to take back our democracy from the war profiteers and other special interests that currently control it, and to instead restore government of, by, and for the people."

Issues:

1. "I will not vote for one cent for funding for further military operations in Iraq unless that funding is tied to prompt, orderly, and complete withdrawal of U.S. troops."

2. "I believe that access to necessary medical care is a basic human right, not a privilege based upon one's ability to pay. I will work to establish a system of universal, high quality, affordable health care for all U.S. residents."

3. "I am shocked that as a candidate running for U.S. House of Representative in the 21st century, I have repeatedly been asked what my position is on torture. I believe the fact that we are even debating torture in the 21st century is symbolic of how far we have strayed from the principles upon which our country was founded. I will work to restore those principles."

Grassroots Support:

Our campaign is entirely a grassroots one, modeled after the DFA training manual and "Politics the Wellstone Way." Many of our volunteers have attended the DFA Training Academy.

DFA Values:

"I oppose the war in Iraq. I oppose tax cuts for the rich accompanied by cuts in services for those less advantaged. I believe the military buildup following the September 11 terrorist attacks is unwarranted and counterproductive. I favor balancing the budget by reducing spending on war and preparation for war."