Mark DeSaulnier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark DeSaulnier
Official portrait, 2015
Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Susan Wild
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	George Miller
Constituency	11th district (2015–2023) 10th district (2023–present)
Member of the California State Senate from the 7th district
In office December 1, 2008 – January 2, 2015
Preceded by	Tom Torlakson
Succeeded by	Steve Glazer
Member of the California State Assembly from the 11th district
In office December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2008
Preceded by	Joe Canciamilla
Succeeded by	Tom Torlakson
Member of the Contra 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	(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

Mark James DeSaulnier (born March 31, 1952) is an American politician. Since 2015, he has been a U.S. Representative for California. A U.S. Representative is a person elected to be part of the U.S. Congress, where they help make laws for the country.

DeSaulnier represents California's 10th congressional district. This area includes most of Contra Costa County, which is in the East Bay region. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before 2000, he was a member of the Republican Party.

Before joining the U.S. Congress, DeSaulnier served in California's state and local government. He was on the Concord City Council, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, the California State Assembly, and the California State Senate.

Early Life and Education

Mark DeSaulnier was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. His father, Edward Joseph DeSaulnier Jr., was a judge. Mark grew up in a Roman Catholic family. He went to college at the College of the Holy Cross and earned a degree in history.

In the 1970s, DeSaulnier moved to Concord, California. Before becoming a politician, he had several jobs, including being a probation officer and a truck driver. He also owned and ran several restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Early Political Career

DeSaulnier's career in politics began with local government jobs in the city of Concord and Contra Costa County.

Working for Concord and Contra Costa County

In 1988, DeSaulnier was appointed to the Concord Planning Commission, which helps decide how the city should grow. In 1991, he was elected to the Concord City Council and became the city's mayor in 1993.

In 1994, he was appointed to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. A supervisor helps run the county government. He was elected to this position in 1994 and reelected in 1998 and 2002.

As a supervisor, DeSaulnier worked to make local factories safer. He also helped create programs for women's health and for children and families. He wanted to make sure that county programs were helping kids effectively.

California State Government

After serving in local government, DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Legislature, which makes laws for the state of California. It has two parts: the Assembly and the Senate.

California State Assembly

In 2006, DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Assembly. In the Assembly, he led the committee on transportation. He worked on more than 40 bills. These bills focused on topics like helping students stay in school, making preschool available to more children, and reducing air pollution.

California State Senate

DeSaulnier as a state senator in 2009

In 2008, DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Senate. There, he led the committee on labor. He wrote bills to protect workers, make prescription drugs safer, and support recycling programs.

In 2014, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and left the state senate to serve in Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

As a U.S. Representative, DeSaulnier helps make laws for the entire country. He works in Washington, D.C.

Elections

DeSaulnier first ran for Congress in a special election in 2009 but did not win. In 2014, he ran again for a different district and won. He took office on January 3, 2015. He has been reelected several times since then.

Time in Congress

DeSaulnier has worked on several important issues in Congress. He introduced a bill to help local newspapers survive. Many local newspapers have lost money because people now read news online on sites like Facebook and Google. His bill would help newspapers work together to get a share of the money from their stories being shared online.

He also introduced a bill to study the effects of bots (automated programs) on social media and elections. As of October 2021, he had voted in agreement with President Joe Biden's positions 100% of the time.

Committee Work

In Congress, members work in small groups called committees to focus on specific topics. For the 118th Congress, DeSaulnier's committees include:

• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• Committee on Ethics
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Caucuses

Caucuses are groups of Congress members who share an interest in a certain topic. DeSaulnier is a member of many caucuses, including:

• Congressional Cancer Survivors Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
• Animal Protection Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus
• Safe Climate Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus

Political Views

Government Spending

In 2023, DeSaulnier was one of 46 Democrats who voted against a law called the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This law dealt with the country's budget and spending.

Foreign Policy

In 2023, DeSaulnier voted in favor of a proposal to remove U.S. soldiers from Syria. After the October 7 attacks on Israel, he voted for a resolution to support Israel. In 2024, he voted against sending aid money to Israel but voted in favor of sending aid to Taiwan and Ukraine.

Electoral history

Personal Life

DeSaulnier lives in Concord, California, where he raised his two sons. He is an avid runner and has completed 23 marathons.

In May 2016, DeSaulnier announced that he had been diagnosed with a type of cancer called chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2015. He received treatment for it. He said the cancer was incurable, but he would continue to serve in Congress.

On March 13, 2020, DeSaulnier was hospitalized in Washington, D.C.. He had broken a rib while running and also had pneumonia. His condition became critical, but he slowly recovered and was released from the hospital on May 4.