Today, Pittsburgh City Council honored retiring Councilman Bruce Kraus. It was Kraus’ last regular-standing City Council meeting after 16 years of service. Kraus will retire from Pittsburgh City Council in January. The City Council also declared December 12, 2023, “Councilman Bruce Kraus Day” in the City of Pittsburgh. The legislation was sponsored by Pittsburgh City Council President Theresa Kail Smith.
Bruce Kraus, a native of Pittsburgh’s South Side, was first elected to Pittsburgh City Council in 2007. At the time, Kraus was the first openly LGBTQ person to win public office in the Pittsburgh region. Kraus would go on to serve as City Council President for three consecutive terms from 2014 to 2020.
Kraus serves on the Board of the Brashear Association, the Carnegie Library, the Children’s Sickle Cell Foundation, and the Oakland Business Improvement District and is on the Advisory Board to the Shepherd Wellness Community.
“I leave the city in good hands. We can’t hold these positions forever. We have a duty and obligation to leave so that we can make way for new, fresh approaches and ideas,” Kraus said speaking from the City Council Chambers dais.
Kraus will be replaced by Pittsburgh City Councilor-elect Bob Charland in January.
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