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In California's 7th Senate District, Democratic incumbent Mark DeSaulnier was winning the election over Republican challenger Mark Meuser with about 60% of the votes late Tuesday evening, as he traveled from Benicia to Pleasanton to Walnut Creek to celebrate with his campaigners.

The 7th Senate District shifted to include parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties and the southern part of Solano County in 2012.

"I'm very thankful," DeSaulnier said around 11 p.m. as his lead continued. "I've enjoyed the last four years tremendously."

"Now we've got to roll up our sleeves to continue to work on the things I've put a lot of time into – transportation, constitutional reform, how we do the budget."

"I'm excited," he added.

DeSaulnier began his career in elected office on the Concord City Council, including rotations as mayor. Next he was a Contra Costa County Supervisor for three terms, where he served on the California Air Resources Board, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

He was elected to the State Assembly in 2006, where he served one term, and became the first freshman to chair the Assembly Transportation Committee. In 2008, DeSaulnier was elected to his Senate seat.

DeSaulnier campaigned on his record with the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, which was instrumental in initiating the work on the Highway 4 and E-BART expansion in East Contra Costa; drilling on the 4th Bore of the Caldecott tunnel; and the repaving improvements along Interstate 680 corridor.

"Moving people efficiently on our roads and highways equates to greater productivity and quality time for home and loved ones," DeSaulnier said on his website for reelection.

He also stated that he has worked to reform state government as chairman of both the Senate Select Committee on Constitutional Reform and Senate Select Committee on Improving State Government. He held hearings to analyze various reform principles including multi-year budgeting, performance based budgeting, and initiative reform, then introduced SB 15 requiring the state to implement a two-year budget process, which Gov. Brown signed.

DeSaulnier worked to preserve funding for affordable housing; reached out to mayors to address the concerns of local governments; held hours of hearings as chairman of the Budget Committee on Health and Human Services on how budget cuts would affect the social safety net.

"Each month I hold mobile office hours in a different town or city in the district so that I have an opportunity to meet one on one with constituents," he said. "I hear firsthand how the downturn in our economy has affected people's lives and how legislation or regulation impacts their life or business."

Three years into his first term, he successfully authored 35 bills and co-authored another 66 bills that were signed into law as well.

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