Mark DeSaulnier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark DeSaulnier
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Official portrait, 2015
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | George Miller |
| Constituency | 11th district (2015–2023) 10th district (2023–present) |
| Member of the California State Senate from the 7th district |
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| In office December 1, 2008 – January 2, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Torlakson |
| Succeeded by | Steve Glazer |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 11th district |
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| In office December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Canciamilla |
| Succeeded by | Tom Torlakson |
| Member of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors from the 4th district |
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| In office January 29, 1994 – December 4, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Sunne McPeak |
| Succeeded by | Susan Bonilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 31, 1952 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (before 2000) |
| Spouse | Melinda Clune (divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | Edward DeSaulnier (father) |
| Alma mater | College of the Holy Cross (BA) |
Mark James DeSaulnier (born March 31, 1952) is an American politician. He has served as a U.S. Representative for California since 2015. He currently represents California's 10th congressional district. Before 2023, he represented the 11th district.
His district covers most of Contra Costa County. This is a suburban area located in the East Bay region of California. Mark DeSaulnier joined the Democratic Party in 2000. Before that, he was a member of the Republican Party.
Before becoming a U.S. Representative, DeSaulnier held several other important roles. He was a member of the Concord City Council from 1991 to 1994. He also served as a Contra Costa County Supervisor from 1994 to 2006. Later, he was a member of the California State Legislature. He represented the 11th State Assembly district from 2006 to 2008. Then, he represented the 7th State Senate district from 2008 to 2015.
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Mark DeSaulnier's Early Life and Education
Mark DeSaulnier was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. His parents were Edward Joseph DeSaulnier Jr. and Virginia Ann DeSaulnier. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the College of the Holy Cross.
After a challenging time for his family in the early 1970s, DeSaulnier moved to California. He settled in Concord. He worked in different jobs, including as a probation officer and a truck driver. He also owned and ran several restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Mark DeSaulnier's Early Political Career
Serving on the Concord City Council
DeSaulnier began his political journey in Concord. In 1988, he was appointed to the Concord Planning Commission. This group helps plan the city's future. In 1991, he was elected to the Concord City Council. He even served as the mayor of Concord in 1993. He also worked with the University of California on a committee for toxic substances research.
Working as a Contra Costa County Supervisor
In 1994, Governor Pete Wilson appointed DeSaulnier to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. He was elected to this position later that year. He was reelected in 1998 and 2002, showing strong support from voters.
During his time as a Supervisor, he worked on important safety rules. He supported the Industrial Safety Ordinance and the Refinery Flare Rule. These rules helped make local refineries and chemical facilities safer. He also served on important regional boards. These included the Association of Bay Area Governments. He also worked with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
DeSaulnier was appointed to the California Air Resources Board. This board works to improve air quality in California. He supported strong environmental rules. These included cleaner-burning gasoline and lower-emission vehicles. He also worked to identify diesel exhaust as a harmful air pollutant. He helped ban a gasoline additive called MTBE. He also supported reducing pollution from dairy farms and cruise ships.
At the county level, DeSaulnier started a Women's Health Program. This program helped meet the healthcare needs of women in Contra Costa County. He also created a special annual budget for children and families. This budget helped review and improve county programs for kids. His other projects for children included AfterSchool4All and the Future Fund.
Serving in the California State Assembly
In 2006, Mark DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Assembly. He won the election with 66% of the vote. He had strong support from many groups and newspapers.
In the Assembly, DeSaulnier led the Committee on Transportation. He also chaired committees on growth management and air quality. He wrote or helped write over 40 bills. These bills covered many topics. They included school attendance, access to preschool, and preventing suicide. He also worked on bills to reduce air pollution and create smoke-free workplaces.
One bill he introduced aimed to stop people from buying tobacco online. Another bill would have required new handguns to have a special biometric feature. This feature would only allow the owner to use the gun.
Serving in the California State Senate
DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Senate in 2008. He represented the 7th Senate district. This district includes most of Contra Costa County. He won with a large majority of the votes.
In the Senate, he led the Labor and Industrial Relations committee. He also served on committees for Health, Transportation, and Housing. He wrote more than 20 bills. These bills focused on workers' rights and prescription drug safety. He also supported funding for alcohol-abuse programs. He worked to expand electronic recycling and climate protection efforts.
In 2012, DeSaulnier proposed a bill called SB1366. This bill would require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to the police within 48 hours. This bill was supported by gun violence prevention groups.
In 2014, DeSaulnier was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He resigned from his state senate seat to join Congress.
Mark DeSaulnier in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a U.S. Representative
In 2009, DeSaulnier ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He came in second in the primary election.
In 2014, Representative George Miller announced he was retiring. DeSaulnier then ran for Miller's seat in California's 11th congressional district. He won the election and started his term on January 3, 2015.
In December 2021, California's congressional districts were redrawn. DeSaulnier decided to run for reelection in the new California's 10th congressional district. He won the primary election in June 2022.
What He Does in Congress
DeSaulnier has worked on several important issues in Congress. He and Representative David Cicilline introduced a bill to help local newspapers. This bill would allow local newspapers to operate as non-profit organizations. They believe this would help newspapers get more money as people read news online.
In 2019, DeSaulnier introduced the Bots Research Act. This bill aimed to study the impact of bots on social media. It would look at how bots affect public discussions and elections.
In 2023, DeSaulnier introduced the "Breaking the Gridlock Act." This bill was designed to help increase the country's debt limit. It would provide a way to do this if Congress faced a deadlock on the issue.
Committees and Groups He Joins
In Congress, Mark DeSaulnier serves on several important committees:
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (as a Ranking Member)
- Committee on Ethics
- 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
He is also part of many special groups called caucuses. These groups focus on specific topics:
- 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 Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
- American Sikh Congressional Caucus
- Innovation and the Human Condition Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
- Out of Poverty Caucus
- Humanities Caucus
- Animal Protection Caucus
- Rare Disease Caucus
- Safe Climate Caucus
- Medicare for All Caucus
Mark DeSaulnier's Political Views
Views on Spending and Foreign Policy
DeSaulnier was one of the Democrats who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This act dealt with government spending.
In 2023, he voted to ask President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria. He also voted to support Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. However, in 2024, he voted against providing aid to Israel. On the same day, he voted in favor of providing aid to Taiwan and Ukraine.
Mark DeSaulnier's Personal Life
Mark DeSaulnier lives in Concord, California. He raised his two sons there. He is a member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce. He is also an active runner and has completed 23 marathons.
In 2016, DeSaulnier shared that he had been diagnosed with a type of cancer in 2015. He underwent treatment and continued his work in Congress. In March 2020, he was hospitalized for a rib injury and pneumonia. He recovered steadily and was released from the hospital in May.
