Tenessa Audette Launches Re-Election Campaign for Redding City Council

Redding City Councilmember and former Mayor Tenessa Audette formally kicked off her campaign for another four-year term on August 4, 2026. In a video titled “Tenessa Is Ready for Four More Years,” produced by contributor Robert Exter, Audette outlined her record of service and asked residents to join her in continuing work on fiscal responsibility, public safety, and responsive local government. More information is available at VoteTenessa.com.

“I believe Redding needs experienced leadership committed to fiscal responsibility and honest government,” Audette has said of her decision to seek re-election. Her stated priorities remain protecting public safety and core services, placing the city on a sustainable financial path, and ensuring transparency and accountability.

A Track Record of Constituent Service and Oversight

First elected in November 2022, Audette has served nearly four years on the City Council, including a term as Mayor in 2024. In her kickoff remarks, she shared concrete measures of her engagement: approximately 3,000 constituent calls, 6,000 text messages, and 11,000

emails. She has traveled to 15 conferences outside the area and currently serves on eight city or regional boards, plus eight ad hoc or subcommittee roles. Despite frequent 4-1 votes in which she was the lone dissenting voice, her colleagues appointed her to every ad hoc committee formed during her tenure—an indication, she noted, of trust in her willingness to do the homework and bring data to the table.

When she first ran, Audette pledged to remain responsive to residents, limit government where possible, and prioritize public safety, with homelessness as a top concern raised by voters on the doors. She described how those commitments have played out in practice. Her independent review of city finances produced a detailed “Redding Budget Findings” report that raised questions about reserves, revenue forecasts, and transparency. That work helped stop a proposed city hall sales tax and block a 20 percent REU rate hike. She emphasized focusing on the information and the issues rather than personal attacks, even when the council did not always see eye to eye.

Progress on Homelessness and Public Safety

Audette highlighted her longest-running effort—work on homelessness and public safety—as the achievement she is most proud of. Early in her term, she was appointed to an ad hoc committee examining homeless funding streams and housing elements. The group brought together the City of Redding, Shasta County, and the cities of Anderson and Shasta Lake to identify gaps and set shared goals.

After touring other facilities, Audette helped advance the concept of a navigation/day resource center. The Day Resource Center, to be operated in partnership with the Good News Rescue Mission, is expected to open within a couple of months near the mission. It will provide a single point of entry with collocated state, federal, and local services—including showers, laundry, phone charging, computers, coaching, a café, and other supports. The goal is to help people stabilize while reclaiming public spaces such as the library for broader community use.

Looking Ahead

Audette pointed to several major items still on the horizon: hiring a permanent city manager and city attorney, completing the Riverfront specific plan, and revisiting the budget. She framed her re-election as an opportunity to maintain momentum on fiscal discipline, transparency, and practical problem-solving, and invited residents to participate as voters, donors, and volunteers.

She closed by introducing her family—husband Jeff, son Jax, and daughter Cat (with one child preparing for college)—and described public service as a team sport that depends on their support and honest feedback. “Politics is my sport,” she said, thanking the friends and supporters who have stayed with her through campaigns and the daily work of local government.

Background in Public Service

Audette holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Sonoma State University. For more than a decade, she managed campaigns at every level through her firm, Called to Action Consulting, Inc., and previously served as a District Representative in the California State Senate. She has taught constitutional principles at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, participated in Leadership Redding, and held roles with the Shasta County Republican Central Committee and the California Council of Governments. A California native, wife, and mother of three, she consistently frames her service around limited government, free-market principles, and protection of constitutional rights.

Three of the five City Council seats will be decided in the November 3, 2026 election. With her formal campaign now underway, Audette is asking Redding voters for the opportunity to continue the work of oversight, constituent service, and results she has pursued since taking office.