MEET JOHN
John J. Bauters is running for Supervisor to bring change and new leadership to Alameda County — to restore public safety, build more affordable housing, reduce homelessness, support small businesses, and create more livable communities for everyone.
John is a pragmatic leader who has served on the Emeryville Council since 2016, including three years as Mayor. He has spent his career fighting to lift families out of poverty for over 20 years — as an eviction defense attorney, as well as a policy and financial expert addressing homelessness, victims’ services, and community-based mental health services.
John brings both the lived and professional experience necessary to tackle Alameda County’s toughest challenges. As someone who experienced housing insecurity as a young adult, living in a boarding house at one point for affordable housing, John understands the complexities of our housing affordability crisis. As Emeryville’s Mayor, John spearheaded a $50 million affordable housing initiative, which was passed by the voters and helped make Emeryville one of the only Bay Area cities to meet its housing goals. Under John’s leadership, Emeryville has reduced homelessness by 79% since 2019. As Supervisor, he'll create more shelters with mental health and substance abuse services to bring people indoors and provide the care they need.
For the last decade, John has worked as a victims’ advocate, fighting to secure justice for those affected by violence and trauma. As Supervisor, John is committed to partnering with law enforcement, small business owners, and community-based organizations to restore public safety across Alameda County. He'll combat violent crime and smash-and-grab robberies, while hiring more first responders and 911 emergency dispatchers to improve response times.
Emeryville has the highest minimum wage in the nation, alongside a thriving small business community. John helped implement paid sick leave and helped pass a ballot measure supported by local businesses and labor unions to permanently fund childcare for working families.
Nationally known as “America’s Bike Mayor,” John has helped make Emeryville a model for walkable, bike-friendly, and transit-oriented living. He has helped transform Emeryville by cleaning up the streets, strengthening safe routes to schools, and helping the local art, restaurant, and small business community thrive. In 2022, John was elected Chair of the Alameda County Transportation Commission, where he spearheaded creation of the county’s first Race & Equity Action Plan (REAP), the creation of the first Countywide Bikeways Network, and has integrated climate action goals into the funding priority of the Commission.
The Alameda County Mayors Conference elected John to represent Alameda County’s cities on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors in 2018. John championed the creation of the District’s Community Health, Equity and Justice Committee, oversaw the process leading to the adoption of Rule 6-5, one of the most stringent air quality regulations on refineries anywhere in the world, and led the effort to adopt amendments to Rules 9-4 and 9-6 to create the first zero NOx emission standard for water heaters and gas furnaces in the United States. John has been Chair of the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Agency since 2016, where he has led the agency’s effort to eliminate lead hazards in East Bay homes and schools. John was also the inaugural recipient of the Visionary Award from the SF Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club.
John received his Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his Juris Doctor in law from Boston College Law School. He volunteers at the Emeryville Citizen’s Assistance Program (ECAP) and is a member of the Sherwin Avenue Community Organic Garden, both in Emeryville. It’s not uncommon to find him out for a walk with his dogs, Reyna and Sir Nugget, or on a bike ride along the Bay Trail.
