Rebecca Bauer-Kahan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 16th district | |
| Assumed office December 3, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Catharine Baker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rebecca Beth Bauer October 28, 1978 Portola Valley, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Darren Kahan (m. 2007) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Orinda, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website Government website |
Rebecca Beth Bauer-Kahan (née Bauer; born October 28, 1978), also known by her initials RBK[citation needed], is an American attorney and politician who has served as a member of the California State Assembly from the 16th district since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, her district extends from Lamorinda to the Tri-Valley region of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bauer-Kahan was born Rebecca Beth Bauer in Portola Valley, California, on October 28, 1978.[1] She is Jewish.[2] Her grandparents came to the United States as refugees in 1939 after fleeing Austria to escape the Holocaust.[3]
Bauer-Kahan spent her childhood in the Bay Area and attended Bay Area public schools. In 2000, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts in psychology. She then enrolled at Georgetown University and graduated with a juris doctor in 2004.[4]
Bauer-Kahan practiced law in Washington, D.C. before returning to the Bay Area in 2005. As an attorney specializing in environmental law, she led internal investigations into corporations to improve their environmental practices and worked with tech companies on intellectual property cases.[5] She was also an immigration attorney for the International Refugee Assistance Project, and on their behalf in 2017, she coordinated legal services at San Francisco International Airport to assist refugees and immigrants impacted by the Trump administration’s travel ban.[6]
In 2010, Bauer-Kahan became a law professor at Santa Clara University, teaching appellate law and legal research and writing. She joined the faculty of Golden Gate University as a law professor in 2014.[5][7] She decided to enter politics following the 2016 presidential election.[8]
Bauer-Kahan was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2018, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Catharine Baker.
Soon after being sworn in, Bauer-Kahan ascended to a leadership role, becoming assistant speaker pro tempore of the Assembly; she left her leadership role after one term. She also founded the Select Committee on Reproductive Health—the first committee of its kind in the nation—during her first term.
To date, Bauer-Kahan has authored 16 pieces of legislation that have been signed into law.[9] Her legislation covers a variety of topics, such as gun control, food safety, reproductive rights, and environmental protection.[10] Her signature piece of legislation is AB 1666, which protects abortion providers from civil liability and was signed into law by Gavin Newsom on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned.[11] She also serves on 12 committees and currently chairs the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee and the Select Committee on Reproductive Health.[12]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Catharine Baker (incumbent) | 69,360 | 56.6 | |
| Democratic | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan | 53,269 | 43.4 | |
| Total votes | 122,629 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan | 111,222 | 51.0 | |
| Republican | Catharine Baker (incumbent) | 106,683 | 49.0 | |
| Total votes | 217,905 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (incumbent) | 85,751 | 67.3 | |
| Republican | Joseph A. Rubay | 41,757 | 32.7 | |
| Total votes | 127,508 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (incumbent) | 192,977 | 67.4 | |
| Republican | Joseph A. Rubay | 93,137 | 32.6 | |
| Total votes | 286,114 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (incumbent) | 80,054 | 66.6 | |
| Republican | Joseph A. Rubay | 40,203 | 33.4 | |
| Total votes | 120,257 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (incumbent) | |||
| Republican | Joseph A. Rubay | |||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
Bauer-Kahan married her husband, Darren Kahan, in 2007.[13] When they married, both took the surname Bauer-Kahan.
They have three children together and live in Orinda, California.[5]
