Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat representing California’s 10th Congressional District, is seeking reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
He faces Republican Jeff Frese, according to Alameda County’s official candidate list.
The district includes Walnut Creek and other communities in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, according to the California Senate Office of Demographics.
The Walnut Creek Record invited DeSaulnier to complete its candidate questionnaire. No response had been received as of publication. The policy positions below are drawn from his campaign website and public records.
Candidate information
Party: Democratic.
Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, California’s 10th Congressional District.
Birthplace: Lowell, Massachusetts.
Education: DeSaulnier earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of the Holy Cross, according to his congressional biography.
Experience and public service
DeSaulnier served on the Concord City Council from 1991 to 1994 and as mayor in 1993. He served on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors from 1994 to 2006, according to the U.S. House’s historical biography.
He was elected to the California Assembly in 2006 and the state Senate in 2008. He began serving in Congress in January 2015.
His congressional biography credits him with chairing the Assembly Transportation Committee as a freshman and later leading the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. It reports that 61 of his bills became state law.
Before entering politics, DeSaulnier worked as a probation officer and held trucking and hotel jobs. He was a member of the Teamsters and hotel and restaurant workers’ unions.
After moving to California in the early 1970s, he owned and managed Bay Area restaurants over several decades.
DeSaulnier serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee. He is the senior Democrat on its Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee.
He also serves as ranking member of the House Ethics Committee.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from DeSaulnier’s campaign website.
Health care and retirement programs: DeSaulnier supports broader access to health care and protecting Medicare and Social Security. His campaign also emphasizes maintaining federal medical research funding.
Education and wages: DeSaulnier supports improving wages, making education more affordable and reducing the financial burden students face. His campaign emphasizes workers’ ability to organize and participate in decisions about how artificial intelligence affects their jobs.
Gun violence: DeSaulnier supports federal gun-safety measures, research into violence prevention and technology intended to prevent unauthorized firearm use.
Immigration: DeSaulnier opposes mass deportation policies and supports changes to the immigration system that protect families and provide fair treatment. His campaign also calls for oversight of immigration enforcement and protections for people in detention.
Reproductive rights: DeSaulnier supports federal legislation protecting abortion access. He opposes federal restrictions that would limit reproductive health care or override California’s protections.
Endorsements
DeSaulnier’s campaign endorsement page lists support from organizations including:
- California Democratic Party
- Democratic Party of Contra Costa County
- California Labor Federation
- Contra Costa Labor Council
- Alameda County Labor Council
- Sierra Club
- California Environmental Voters
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund
This profile draws on DeSaulnier’s campaign website, congressional biography, official election records and government district information. Campaign positions and campaign-listed endorsements are attributed to their source.
