Bruce Kraus

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title: "Bruce Kraus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pittsburgh-city-council-members", "american-gay-politicians", "living-people", "1954-births", "american-lgbtq-city-council-members", "lgbtq-people-from-pennsylvania", "businesspeople-from-pittsburgh", "21st-century-american-lgbtq-people"] description: "American politician" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Kraus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Bruce A. Kraus
birth_date
birth_place	South Side Flats, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
residence	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
office	President of the Pittsburgh City Council
term_start	January 6, 2014
term_end	January 6, 2020
predecessor	Darlene Harris
successor	Theresa Kail-Smith
office2	Member of the Pittsburgh City Council
from the 3rd district
term_start2	January 7, 2008
term_end2	January 1, 2024
predecessor2	Jeff Koch
successor2	Bob Charland
party	Democratic
website
::

| name = Bruce A. Kraus | image = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = South Side Flats, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | residence = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | office = President of the Pittsburgh City Council | term_start = January 6, 2014 | term_end = January 6, 2020 | predecessor = Darlene Harris | successor = Theresa Kail-Smith | office2 = Member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 3rd district | term_start2 = January 7, 2008 | term_end2 = January 1, 2024 | predecessor2 = Jeff Koch | successor2 = Bob Charland | party = Democratic | occupation = | constituency = | majority = | spouse = | children = | website = | footnotes =

Bruce A. Kraus (born April 13, 1954) is an American politician and businessman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served on the Pittsburgh City Council from 2008 to 2024, representing the 3rd district. He was the president of the council from 2014 to 2020.

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. He was a member of Mayor Tom Murphy's Graffiti Task Force and Clean Pittsburgh Commission.

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. In 2007, he ran again against incumbent Jeff Koch and won the primary. 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). 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%. 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. 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.

Kraus authored legislation that banned the sale of force-fed animal products, including foie gras, in Pittsburgh. The ordinance was passed by the Pittsburgh City Council in 2023.

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. 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. He lives in Pittsburgh's South Side Flats neighborhood.

References

References

1. (8 January 2024). "New Pittsburgh City Council members, controller take office; Lavelle elected council president". [[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]].
2. (6 January 2020). "Pittsburgh council has new compromise president, new member". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
3. (October 2023). ["Editorial: Kraus for council/He's the best choice in city's special election"](http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06065/665686.stm}}{{Dead link). [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
4. O'Toole, James. (March 15, 2006). "Koch wins City Council seat". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
5. Lord, Rich. (May 16, 2007). "City of Pittsburgh races: Two City Council members lose their positions". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
6. Lord, Rich. (January 7, 2008). "3 new council members sworn in; Shields remains president". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
7. (May 18, 2011}}{{Dead link). "Incumbents come up winners in Pittsburgh City Council races". [[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]].
8. Lord, Rich. (June 17, 2009). "City Council approves commitment registry". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
9. (2014-07-23). "City Council Preliminarily Approves Adding Gender Identity as a Protected Class". WESA.
10. Felton, Julia. "Pittsburgh bans foie gras, pauses efforts to bar fur sales, horse-drawn carriages".
11. Lord, Rich. (September 15, 2009). "City council passes law banning public urination". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
12. Potter, Chris. (June 14, 2007). "On the March". [[Pittsburgh City Paper]].

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