Roger Niello

Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) represents California's 6th Senate District, encompassing portions of Sacramento and Placer Counties, and has served since December 2022 ^[1,2]. A lifelong Sacramento-area resident, seasoned businessman, and former three-term Assemblyman, Niello brings decades of private-sector and public-service experience to the Legislature, with a strong focus on fiscal responsibility, public safety, and government accountability ^[2,3]. With a 76% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Niello has demonstrated alignment with the California Family Council's worldview framework on several core priorities including limited government (Chapter 11) and family-centered policy (Chapter 3).

Roger William Niello was born on June 2, 1948, in San Francisco and has lived in the Sacramento region for nearly his entire life ^[1,4]. He graduated from Encina High School in the Arden area and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1970, followed by a Master of Science in the same field from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1971 ^[2,3]. After completing his education, Niello began his professional career as a Certified Public Accountant before joining the family enterprise, the Niello Auto Group, in 1974 ^[2,3].

Niello's career in elected office began in February 1999, when he won a special election to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors with 55.3 percent of the vote in a five-candidate field ^[1,2]. He went on to win election to the California State Assembly in 2004, representing the 5th Assembly District, and was immediately appointed Vice Chair of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee ^[1,2,3]. He served three consecutive terms in the Assembly through 2010, during which he also served on the Budget, Transportation, Insurance, and Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security committees ^[3,5].

Following his time in the Legislature, Niello accepted the position of President and CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, serving from 2012 to 2015 ^[1,2,4]. He was also named the inaugural University of California Center Sacramento Governance Fellow in February 2011 ^[3]. Throughout his career, Niello has maintained deep community involvement, serving as President of Golden State Voter Participation, Chair of the Sacramento Valley Lincoln Club Board, Co-Chair of the California Civic Learning Partnership in Sacramento County, and as a board member of the UC Center Sacramento Advisory Board, the Dignity Health Sacramento Service Area Hospital Community Board, the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, and Sacramento Rotary ^[3,5].

His 59.2% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 103 scored floor votes reflects a mixed record on CFC's core priorities. While he has aligned with CFC on select votes, his overall record diverges from CFC's framework on the sanctity of human life, parental authority in education, and religious liberty.

Niello returned to the California Legislature in November 2022, defeating Democratic challenger Paula Marie Villescaz by a margin of 55.7 percent to 44.3 percent to represent the newly drawn 6th Senate District ^[1,2]. He assumed office on December 5, 2022 ^[1]. In the Senate, he holds several significant committee assignments, including Vice Chair of both the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and the Transportation Committee, as well as positions on the Banking and Financial Institutions, Insurance, Judiciary, and Legislative Ethics committees ^[5,6]. In early 2025, he was appointed to the Little Hoover Commission, a state body tasked with promoting efficiency and accountability in government ^[5,6].