Bruce Kraus
| Bruce A. Kraus | |
|---|---|
| President of the Pittsburgh City Council | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Darlene Harris |
| Member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 3rd district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Jeff Koch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 13, 1954 South Side Flats, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Website | city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district3 |
Bruce A. Kraus (born April 13, 1954) is an American politician and businessman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has served since January 2008 on Pittsburgh City Council, of which he is currently President, representing the 3rd district neighborhoods of South Side Flats, South Side Slopes, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Allentown, Mount Oliver, Central Oakland, Carrick and Saint Clair.
Career history
Prior to becoming a Councilman, Kraus worked as an interior design consultant and also served as president of the South Side Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Mayor Tom Murphy's Graffiti Task Force and Clean Pittsburgh Commission.
Kraus first ran for the seat vacated by District Judge Gene Ricciardi in the 2006 special election. Though he was endorsed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, his bid was unsuccessful.[1][2] In 2007, he ran again against incumbent Jeff Koch and won the primary.[3] Kraus, a Democrat, faced only a Libertarian opponent, Mark Rauterkus, who was running simultaneously for Pittsburgh City Controller. Kraus won and was sworn in on January 7, 2008, as part of a trio of new Council members (including Patrick Dowd and Ricky Burgess).[4] He sought re-election in 2011, facing another Democratic primary against Jeff Koch, who had the support of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Kraus won 54% of the vote to Koch's 38%, with two other candidates each receiving 4%.[5] No Republican or third-party candidate filed for the seat so Kraus ran unopposed in the general election in November 2011.
As a city councilman, Kraus has been active in legislating quality-of-life and civil rights issues, including drafting and passing the city's first domestic partnership registry.[6] He has also been involved in trying to curb public drunkenness and overcrowding in South Side bars. In September 2009, City Council passed his ordinance banning public urination, creating the first such ban in Pittsburgh.[7] He has authored ordinances increasing open-container fines and regulating the installation of sidewalk cafes.
Kraus is the city’s first openly gay elected official.[8] He lives in Pittsburgh's South Side Flats neighborhood.
References
- ↑ "Editorial: Kraus for council/He's the best choice in city's special election". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 6, 2006.
- ↑ O'Toole, James (March 15, 2006). "Koch wins City Council seat". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ Lord, Rich (May 16, 2007). "City of Pittsburgh races: Two City Council members lose their positions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ Lord, Rich (January 7, 2008). "3 new council members sworn in; Shields remains president". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ "Incumbents come up winners in Pittsburgh City Council races". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. May 18, 2011.
- ↑ Lord, Rich (June 17, 2009). "City Council approves commitment registry". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ Lord, Rich (September 15, 2009). "City council passes law banning public urination". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ Potter, Chris (June 14, 2007). "On the March". Pittsburgh City Paper.