County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors Supervisor Rich Desmond

Rich Desmond was elected to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in November 2020, succeeding four-term representative Susan Peters, who retired.

The general election, which Desmond won with 50.85 percent of the vote to challenger Gregg Fishman’s 49.15 percent, attracted interest because of its political stakes for the board. With District 1’s Phil Serna and District 2’s Patrick Kennedy left-leaning, District 4 member Sue Frost conservative, and District 5 representative Don Nottoli a swing vote, Fishman could have provided a liberal majority.

Desmond, a retired California Highway Patrol chief and registered independent, has described himself as centrist. “I think I’m actually, frankly, probably going to surprise a lot of the Democrats,” Desmond told Sacramento News & Review. “They will see that I’m truly a very open-minded person.”

That said, Desmond had endorsements from certain traditionally conservative groups during the race, such as all major local police unions, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Background

Desmond began working for the CHP in 1995, earning nearly $500,000 in total compensation in 2019, according to Transparent California. That website also shows Desmond began drawing a pension from the state in 2020. 

In addition, Desmond has been an active member of the California State Bar Association since 2000, the same year he earned his juris doctorate from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, and has operated his own law office since 2005.

In a 2020 survey for the website Ballotpedia, Desmond noted that he and his wife, Lisa, had five children between the ages of 11 and 20.

Select Issues

Homelessness: In the Ballotpedia survey, Desmond wrote repeatedly about homelessness as a key priority for his campaign. “Homelessness is among the biggest issues that is facing Sacramento County,” Desmond wrote. “We need a compassionate approach to help those in need find long term housing.”

COVID-19 safety and fiscal recovery: Desmond also wrote in the survey about the importance of both protecting residents from COVID-19 and of the importance to help businesses reopen and add jobs.

District Boundaries and Office Locations

Desmond’s district spans northern and eastern unincorporated areas of Sacramento County, including the communities of Arden Arcade, Carmichael, Cordova, Fair Oaks, Foothill Farms, Old Foothill Farms, and North Highlands.

Office address: 70​0 H St, Suite​ 2450, Sacramento, CA 95814