Jeff Frese, a Moraga small-business owner running as a Republican, is challenging Rep. Mark DeSaulnier in California's 10th Congressional District in the Nov. 3 general election.
The district includes Walnut Creek, Concord, Martinez and other parts of Contra Costa County, plus a small section of Alameda County, according to Ballotpedia's district map.
Frese describes himself as a moderate Republican. "But your grocery bill doesn't check your party registration, and neither do I. I'm running to represent everyone in this district," he said in a candidate questionnaire with the Walnut Creek Record. He said he has never held public office. He described his campaign as running on no special-interest money and no consultants. "Nobody owns me," he told the Walnut Creek Record.
DeSaulnier, a Democrat, is the district's incumbent. In his responses to the questionnaire, Frese described DeSaulnier as having held elected office continuously since 1991.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican (self-described moderate)
- Residence: Moraga, California
- Education: Bachelor's degree in economics, State University of New York at Cortland
- Family: Married with three daughters
- Occupation: Small-business owner
Experience
Frese founded Fat Snax, a low-carb snack company, in his kitchen and grew it into a nationally distributed brand before selling it to private equity, according to Ballotpedia. He now runs a skincare company. Before launching his own businesses, he held product leadership roles at CNN, Nickelodeon and MTV, building digital products he said were used by millions of people.
"In business, if you go years without shipping anything, you're gone," Frese said in the questionnaire. "Congress is the only place I know where you can go years without shipping anything and still get rehired."
On the issues
Government reform: Frese calls government reform his top priority. "Clean up Congress. Every other fix goes through it," he said. He supports eight-year term limits for members of Congress, a ban on stock trading by members, lobbying restrictions for former members and a policy he calls "No Budget, No Pay." Under that proposal, if Congress has not passed its spending bills by Oct. 1, members' pay would go into escrow until the work is finished.
Affordability and housing: Deficit spending is driving up mortgage rates and home prices, Frese said. He supports banning Wall Street firms and hedge funds from buying single-family homes, blocking foreign ownership of American farmland and family homes, and cutting regulations he blames for slowing and raising the cost of building.
Health care: Medicare should remain unchanged for those who paid into it, Frese said. He supports most-favored-nation drug pricing, an insulin price cap and enforced price transparency for hospitals and insurers.
Immigration: Frese supports stronger border enforcement paired with an overhaul of the legal immigration system. He called for faster processing, expanded pathways for high-skilled workers and industries facing labor shortages, and consistent enforcement.
National security: Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, Frese said, but he wants Congress to vote on the scope and authorization of U.S. military involvement. He opposes an open-ended ground war and supports an up-or-down vote on the use of force.
Frese outlined additional positions on his campaign website, including support for federal permitting reform and opposition to mileage-based driving taxes.
