Bruce Kraus

Bruce A. Kraus
President of the Pittsburgh City Council
Assumed office
January 6, 2014
Preceded by Darlene Harris
Member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 3rd district
Assumed office
January 7, 2008
Preceded by Jeff Koch
Personal details
Born (1954-04-13) April 13, 1954
South Side Flats, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Political party Democratic
Residence Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Website pittsburghpa.gov/council/district3/kraus.html

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 and a portion of Mount Washington.

Early life

Prior to becoming a Councilman, Kraus worked as an interior design consultant and also served as president of the South Side Chamber of Commerce.[1] He was a member of Mayor Tom Murphy's Graffiti Task Force and Clean Pittsburgh Commission.[1]

Political career

Kraus first ran for the seat vacated by Gene Ricciardi, who resigned to become a district judge, 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 drafted the city's first domestic partnership registry which passed in 2009.[6] In 2014, he sponsored legislation to add gender identity and expression as an explicitly protected class with regard to housing, employment and public accommodation in the city.[7]

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.[8] He has authored ordinances increasing open-container fines and regulating the installation of sidewalk cafes. He introduced the Responsible Hospitality Institute’s ("RHI") Sociable City Plan, which has worked to develop a comprehensive strategy to regulate the nighttime economy on Pittsburgh's South Side and elsewhere in the metropolitan area.

Personal life

Kraus is the city’s first openly gay elected official.[9] He lives in Pittsburgh's South Side Flats neighborhood.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Editorial: Kraus for council/He's the best choice in city's special election". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 6, 2006.
  2. ↑ O'Toole, James (March 15, 2006). "Koch wins City Council seat". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  3. ↑ Lord, Rich (May 16, 2007). "City of Pittsburgh races: Two City Council members lose their positions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  4. ↑ Lord, Rich (January 7, 2008). "3 new council members sworn in; Shields remains president". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  5. ↑ "Incumbents come up winners in Pittsburgh City Council races". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. May 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ Lord, Rich (June 17, 2009). "City Council approves commitment registry". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  7. ↑ Reid, Liz (2014-07-23). "City Council Preliminarily Approves Adding Gender Identity as a Protected Class". WESA. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Lord, Rich (September 15, 2009). "City council passes law banning public urination". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  9. ↑ Potter, Chris (June 14, 2007). "On the March". Pittsburgh City Paper.
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