Mark DeSaulnier
Official portrait, 2015
Ranking Member of theHouse Ethics Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Susan Wild
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	George Miller
Constituency	11th district (2015–2023) 10th district (2023–present)
Member of theCalifornia State Senate from the7th district
In office December 1, 2008 – January 2, 2015
Preceded by	Tom Torlakson
Succeeded by	Steve Glazer
Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the11th district
In office December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2008
Preceded by	Joe Canciamilla
Succeeded by	Tom Torlakson
Member of theContra Costa County Board of Supervisors from the 4th district
In office January 29, 1994 – December 4, 2006
Preceded by	Sunne McPeak
Succeeded by	Susan Bonilla
Personal details
Born	Mark James DeSaulnier (1952-03-31)March 31, 1952 (age 73) Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican (before 2000) Democratic (2000–present)
Spouse	Melinda Clune ​ (divorced)​
Children	2
Relatives	Edward DeSaulnier (father)
Education	College of the Holy Cross (BA)
Signature
Website	House website Campaign website
DeSaulnier's voice DeSaulnier supporting theJohn Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act. Recorded July 11, 2017

Mark James DeSaulnier (/dəˈsoʊnieɪ/də-SOH-nee-ay;^[1] born March 31, 1952) is an American politician who has served as aU.S. representative from California since 2015. He has represented the10th congressional district since 2023, although it was previously numbered the11th district for his first eight years in office. The district includes most ofContra Costa County, a suburban county in theEast Bay. Until 2000, he was a member of theRepublican Party; He has since been a member of theDemocratic Party.

Before serving in the House of Representatives, DeSaulnier was a member of theConcordCity Council (1991–94), aContra Costa CountySupervisor (1994–2006), and a member of theCalifornia State Legislature, representing the11th State Assembly district from 2006 to 2008 and the7th State Senate district from 2008 to 2015.

DeSaulnier was born inLowell, Massachusetts, toEdward Joseph DeSaulnier Jr. and Virginia Ann DeSaulnier (née Burke). He was raised in aRoman Catholic family.^[2] He earned aBachelor of Arts in history from theCollege of the Holy Cross.^[3]

After his father, aMassachusetts Superior Court judge, became involved in a scandal in the early 1970s, DeSaulnier relocated to California, settling inConcord.^[4] He worked as a probation officer, truck driver, and hotel services employee. He later owned and operated several restaurants in theSan Francisco Bay Area.^[5] He was married to Melinda Clune until their divorce.^[6]

DeSaulnier was appointed to the Concord Planning Commission in 1988. In 1991, he was elected to the Concord City Council^[3] and served as mayor of Concord in 1993. He was also a member of theUniversity of California Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program Advisory Committee.^[4]

In early 1994, GovernorPete Wilson appointed DeSaulnier, then a fellow Republican, to theContra Costa County Board of Supervisors, filling a vacancy caused by the resignation of Supervisor Sunne McPeak.^[7] He was elected in 1994 and reelected in 1998 and 2002. In 1998, he received 98.4% of the vote against write-in candidates.^[8] In 2002, he received 79% of the vote against challenger Dione Mustard.^[9]

During DeSaulnier's tenure on the Board of Supervisors, he sponsored the Industrial Safety Ordinance and the Refinery Flare Rule for local refineries and chemical facilities. He served on the executive boards of the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. He was appointed to represent the Bay Area on theCalifornia Air Resources Board by the Air District (1997–2006).^{[citation needed]}

As a member of the Air Resources Board, DeSaulnier supported strong environmental regulations, including cleaner-burning gasoline, lower-emission vehicles (LEVs), the identification of diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant, dioxin monitoring in the Bay Area, the banning of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline, the identification of secondhand smoke as a carcinogen, the reduction of emissions from dairy farms, the phase-out of rice straw in the central valley, and the reduction of emissions from cruise ships.^{[citation needed]}

On a county level, DeSaulnier introduced a Women's Health Program to serve the health-care needs of Contra Costa County. He also established the annual Children and Families' Budget, a separate county budget that reviews and measures the effectiveness of county programs in these areas. His other projects for children include AfterSchool4All, the Future Fund and the Children and Families Committee of the Board of Supervisors.^{[citation needed]}

In the June 2006 Democratic primary, DeSaulnier won 52% of the vote againstPittsburgSchool Board Trustee Laura Canciamilla and two other opponents.^[10] He was endorsed by theSan Francisco Chronicle, theContra Costa Times,^[11] U.S. SenatorBarbara Boxer and California SenatorTom Torlakson. DeSaulnier won the general election against Republican Arne Simonsen and Libertarian Cory Nott with 66% of the vote.^[12]

In the Assembly, DeSaulnier chaired the Committee on Transportation and the Select Committees on Growth Management and Air Quality. He was also a member of the Assembly Committees on Appropriations, Human Services, Rules and Labor and Employment. He authored or co-authored over 40 bills during the 2007–08 legislative session. His bills addressed truancy among schoolchildren, preschool access, suicide prevention, childhood obesity, reducing air pollution, smoke-free workplaces, and opportunities for at-risk youth.^{[citation needed]}

One bill DeSaulnier introduced, AB 1617, would have restrictedtobacco smokers from purchasing tobacco products online.^[13] GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill.^[14] Another DeSaulnier bill, AB 2235, would have required that abiometric feature be incorporated into all new handguns sold in California.^[15]

For theLive Earth concert in July 2007, DeSaulnier delivered the Democratic weekly radio address on steps people can take to reduce their carbon footprint.^[16]

DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Senate in 2008, representing the 7th Senate district, which includes most of Contra Costa County. He received early support from the Contra Costa Central Labor Council, the Contra Costa Building Trades Council and the California League of Conservation Voters. He received 98% of the vote in the June Democratic primary election against write-in candidates; former AssemblymanJoe Canciamilla initially was to challenge DeSaulnier, but dropped out of the race. In the general election, DeSaulnier received 66.6% of the vote against Republican Christian Amsberry.^{[citation needed]}

In the Senate, DeSaulnier chaired the Labor and Industrial Relations committee and was a member of the Health, Transportation and Housing, and Appropriations committees. He also chaired the select committees on Constitutional Reform and Growth Management.^[17]

DeSaulnier authored over 20 bills addressing workers' ability to designate their treating physician before an injury, providing for greater prescription drug safety, supporting increased funding for alcohol-abuse programs, and expanding electronic recycling and funding for climate protection. He supported Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 3 to propose to California voters the question whether to call a convention to reform the state constitution.^[18]

In September 2009, DeSaulnier amended SB 88 to attempt to restrict local governments' ability to shed pension programs through bankruptcy protection.^[19]

In 2012, DeSaulnier proposed a bill, SB1366, that would require gun owners whose guns are stolen or lost to report the fact to police within 48 hours.^[20][21] Failure to comply would result in fines on the first and second offenses, with higher fines and possible jail on the third.^[20] The bill was endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the California Police Chiefs Association^[22] and opposed by the California Rifle and Pistol Association.^[20]

In 2014, DeSaulnier was elected to representCalifornia's 11th congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives. He resigned his state senate seat in order to join Congress.^[23]

In 2009, DeSaulnier announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in thespecial election inCalifornia's 10th congressional district after the resignation ofEllen Tauscher, who endorsed him. In the September 1 Democratic primary, DeSaulnier came in second, behindJohn Garamendi.^[24]

In 2014, afterGeorge Miller announced his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives, DeSaulnier announced his candidacy forCalifornia's 11th congressional district to succeed him.^[25] He won the general election^[26] and took office on January 3, 2015.

In December 2021, California's congressional district boundaries were redrawn as part of statewideredistricting.^[27] DeSaulnier announced that he would seek reelection in the10th congressional district, and was one of three candidates in the June 7, 2022 primary election.^[28][29]

DeSaulnier and RepresentativeDavid Cicilline introduced legislation to create a pathway for local newspapers to operate as nonprofits. They attributed the loss of local ad revenue to the shift in media consumption habits: "As consumers have turned to online platforms like Facebook and Google to read the news, advertisers have followed, taking away a vital source of revenue local publications need to maintain their staffing levels. Local news organizations do not get a cut of the financial benefit when their stories are shared online". The bill grants local news companies a 48-month safe harbor from anti-trust laws to negotiate with prominent online platforms for ad profits to address the shortage of journalists.^[30]

In May 2019, DeSaulnier introduced the Bots Research Act (H.R. 2860), a bill to establish a task force of experts at theFederal Trade Commission to determine the impact ofbots on social media, public discourse, and elections.^[31]

As of October 2021, DeSaulnier had voted in line withJoe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.^[32]

In January 2023 DeSaulnier introduced the "Breaking the Gridlock Act", a low-profile piece of legislation intended to serve as a vehicle for adischarge petition to increase the country's debt limit in the event of a congressional deadlock on the issue.^[33]

For the118th Congress:^[34]

• Committee on Education and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Ethics (Ranking Member, 2/13/25)
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

• Congressional Equality Caucus^[35]
• Congressional Innovation and the Human Condition Caucus (Chair)
• Congressional Friends of Jesuit Colleges and Universities Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Cancer Survivors Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Caucus on Urban Regional Studies (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus^[36]
• Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment^[37]
• American Sikh Congressional Caucus
• Innovation and the Human Condition Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus^[38]
• Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
• Out of Poverty Caucus
• Humanities Caucus
• Animal Protection Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus^[39]
• Safe Climate Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus^[40]

DeSaulnier has an "F" grade from the anti-abortionSusan B. Anthony List for his abortion-related voting record.^[41] He opposed the2022 overturning ofRoe v. Wade, calling it "an assault on the freedom of all women and an attack on equality."^[42]

DeSaulnier was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.^[43]

In 2023, DeSaulnier was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.^[44][45] DeSaulnier voted in favor of a resolution supportingIsrael following theOctober 7 attacks.^[46][47] However, DeSaulnier voted against providing aid toIsrael in 2024.^[48] In addition, he voted in favor of providing aid toTaiwan^[49] andUkraine^[50] on the same day.

A member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce and the Contra Costa Council, DeSaulnier lives inConcord, California, where he raised his two sons. He is an avid runner and has completed 23 marathons.^[57]

In May 2016, DeSaulnier announced that he had been diagnosed withchronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2015 and had undergone chemotherapy.^[58] While the cancer was described as incurable, DeSaulnier said he would still seek reelection.^[58]

On March 13, 2020, DeSaulnier was hospitalized inWashington, D.C., for a rib fracture sustained during a run, as well as for pneumonia.^[59] On March 21, it was announced that his health had declined, and he was reported as being incritical condition.^[60] He steadily recovered, and was released from the hospital on May 4.^[61]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMark DeSaulnier.

• Congressman Mark DeSaulnier official U.S. House website
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• Biography at theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at theFederal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at theLibrary of Congress
• Profile atVote Smart

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