Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E. is a licensed civil and traffic engineer, longtime Orange County public official, and Republican candidate for Member, California State Board of Equalization, 4th District in the June 2, 2026 primary. He is a lifelong resident of the City of Orange, where he lives with his wife Suzanne and their three children. He is currently serving simultaneously on the Orange County Water District Board of Directors — where he has served since 2000 and currently serves as Board President — and on the Orange City Council, representing District 4. He also serves as President of the Orange Taxpayers Association.
Bilodeau earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine in 1991. He is a licensed Civil Engineer and Traffic Engineer with decades of professional experience in infrastructure and public works. He was first elected to public office as a director of the Orange County Water District in November 2000 and has been re-elected to serve for six more consecutive terms. He also served two terms on the Orange City Council from 2006 to 2014, including as Mayor Pro Tem from 2011 to 2012, and was re-elected to the City Council in 2022. He has served as Chief of Staff to Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson and has held leadership roles on a wide range of regional bodies including the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Orange County Transportation Authority, San Joaquin Hills and Foothill Eastern Transportation Corridor agencies, Orange County Sanitation District, and Orange County Waste Management Commission.
Bilodeau previously ran for BOE District 4 in the 2022 primary, finishing third with 14.2% of the vote behind incumbent Mike Schaefer (35.9%) and Democrat David Dodson (15.0%) in a seven-candidate field. He is running again in 2026 in the open-seat contest following Schaefer’s term limit. He is supported by Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Reform California organization. He has signed the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Pledge to protect Proposition 13 and a separate Pledge to Oppose Tax Increases.
Endorsements
California Republican Party, Reform California (Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s organization), Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (pledge signatory), and a network of Orange County Republican officials and civic leaders. A full list is available on his campaign website.
Reputation/Scandals/Successes
Core Strengths and Positive Reputation
- Longest Continuous Record of Elected Public Service in the Field: Bilodeau has held elected public office continuously since November 2000 — over 25 years — across water district, city council, and regional board roles, a record of sustained community accountability that no other candidate in the BOE District 4 race can match in duration. His repeated re-elections in Orange County, including his most recent water district victory in November 2024, reflect consistent voter confidence in his stewardship of public infrastructure and finances.
- Technical Engineering Expertise Directly Relevant to BOE Functions: With California property assessments exceeding $8.7 trillion, the BOE needs technical expertise. Bilodeau’s background as a licensed Civil and Traffic Engineer — combined with decades of overseeing public infrastructure budgets, utility contracts, and water district finances — gives him a technical depth that most other candidates in the race do not have. The BOE’s core function of setting taxable values for utilities, railroads, and pipelines is precisely the kind of infrastructure valuation work where engineering credentials are directly applicable.
- Proposition 13 Defense and Anti-Tax Platform: Bilodeau has signed the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Pledge to protect Proposition 13 and the Pledge to Oppose Tax Increases, making him the clearest defender of Prop. 13’s property tax protections in the race. For Orange County homeowners — who have benefited enormously from Prop. 13’s assessment caps — his unambiguous commitment to protecting those limits distinguishes him from Democratic opponents who have not made Prop. 13 defense a centerpiece of their campaigns.
- Loophole-Closing and Special-Interest Accountability: Bilodeau pledges to use his expertise in property tax law to close loopholes that benefit special interests while ensuring fair treatment for all California taxpayers. This framing — using conservative anti-tax credentials to target corporate exemptions and favoritism rather than just defend low rates — gives him a crossover message that can appeal to voters across party lines who are skeptical of large corporations receiving preferential treatment in the assessment process.
- Orange County Institutional Network: Bilodeau’s 25-year record of service on county-wide regional bodies — transportation corridors, sanitation, waste management, water — has built him one of the deepest institutional networks in Orange County Republican politics. Orange County is the largest county in BOE District 4 by registered voter population, making his local name recognition there a meaningful structural asset.
Criticisms and Vulnerabilities
- Lost the 2022 BOE Primary With 14.2% of the Vote: Bilodeau ran in this exact race in 2022 and finished a distant third behind the incumbent and a lesser-known Democratic challenger, receiving only 14.2% of the vote in a seven-candidate field. While the 2026 race is structurally different — open seat, five candidates — his previous performance in this district raises questions about his ceiling with the overall electorate, particularly given that the district’s voter registration leans Democratic (39% D, 31% R, 23% NPP).
- Republican Structural Disadvantage in District 4: BOE District 4 voted for Kamala Harris by seven points in 2024 and Gavin Newsom by two points in 2022. With three Democrats in the race splitting the majority-party vote, Bilodeau’s path to the top-two general election is plausible — but winning in November against a Democratic opponent in a Democratic-leaning district covering Imperial, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties would be a significant challenge. The last Republican to hold this seat was Diane Harkey, who held it from 2010 to 2018.
- Alignment With Carl DeMaio and Reform California: Bilodeau is supported by San Diego Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Reform California organization. DeMaio is a polarizing figure in California Republican politics — a strong national conservative brand but one that has lost multiple high-profile races, including congressional bids. His backing energizes the Republican base but may complicate Bilodeau’s ability to attract the No Party Preference and crossover Democratic votes he would need to win in November.
- Limited Profile Outside Orange County: Despite his deep Orange County roots, Bilodeau has minimal name recognition in San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial counties — which together account for a majority of the district’s registered voters. His 2022 primary results suggested limited reach outside his home base, and the 2026 race covers the same vast, multi-county geography.
Campaign Contributors
Bilodeau’s campaign is supported primarily by Orange County Republican donors, taxpayer advocacy organizations, and business community contributors. Full contributor details are available at Transparency USA.