I compiled this list from Internet sources. It does not represent an endorsement of him, simply my response to readers asking for more information about him. Bauters will be Nikki Bas’s main opponent in the race for Alameda Supervisor, District 5.
- He’s a sitting City Council member in Emeryville and a former mayor of that city
- He’s gay and lives with his longtime partner
- When he came out, his mother kicked him out of the house
- He’s a strong Yimby
- He’s a lawyer specializing in “assisting low-income families, seniors, people living with disabilities and the homeless,” according to his own bio
- He is a registered Democrat
- He’s a bigtime bicycling enthusiast
- His positions on housing, homelessness, public safety, climate change and transit run along traditionally anodyne liberal-Democratic lines, except:
- Now that he’s running for Supervisor, he’s emphasizing public safety a lot more than he used to, mainly due to the importance of the huge Oakland vote
- Yet he has said little about the police. Instead, he emphasizes his support of “first responders” by posing for photos with firefighters
[This is Steve] My conclusion at this point is that Bauters is a crafty, ambitious and somewhat facile politician, which makes him typical of the breed. His positions seem carefully tailored to the liberal demographics of Emeryville. On the major issues—especially crime and and policing—he may be coming around to our views, but he’s not there yet, especially with regard to more cops. At any rate, his opponent, Bas, is totally unacceptable. So, as usual, it’s not a perfect situation. But if the election were today, I’d vote for Bauters.