Eric C. Bauman

Born in the Bronx, New York, Bauman worked as a registered nurse for many years before entering politics.{{Cite news |last=Willon |first=Phil |last2=Mason |first2=Melanie |date=November 29, 2018 |title=California Democratic Party leader Eric Bauman to resign after accusations of sexual misconduct |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-democratic-party-chairman-eric-bauman-resignation-20181129-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 17, 2025 |work=The Los Angeles Times}} He obtained his bachelor's degree in nursing from an online college, Excelsior College. He also obtained graduate education in health care administration from Century University, now known as American Century University, an unaccredited, for-profit university based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.{{Cite news |last=Cadelago |first=Christopher |date=June 30, 2016 |title=People skills, political savvy propel ‘Jewish kid from the Bronx’ toward top California post |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article86702057.html |url-status=live |archive-date= |access-date=June 17, 2025 |work=The Sacramento Bee}}

Bauman was chair of the California Democratic Party, the largest state Democratic Party entity in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.lacdp.org/about/who-we-are/|title=Who We Are|publisher=Los Angeles County Democratic Party|accessdate=November 12, 2016|archive-date=January 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200122095758/http://www.lacdp.org/about/who-we-are/|url-status=dead}}

Bauman has been referred to as a "kingmaker" in Los Angeles County Democratic politics by LA Weekly. In the article he claimed, "I don't make promises or ask people to do things in a quid pro quo format. That would be against the law."{{cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/2011-12-22/news/eric-bauman-l-a-democratic-party-kingmaker/|title=Eric Bauman, L.A. Democratic Party Kingmaker|first=Hillel|last=Aron|date=December 22, 2011|work=LA Weekly|accessdate=November 12, 2016}}

Under his leadership, the Los Angeles Democratic Party was awarded 15 Pollie Awards and three Reed Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.lacdp.org/campaignawards/|title=Campaign Awards |publisher=Los Angeles County Democratic Party |accessdate=November 12, 2016}}

Bauman is regularly quoted by the Los Angeles Times{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/countygovernment/la-me-voting-system-20141022-story.html|title=L.A. County OKs contract to design new touch-screen voting system |work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 22, 2014 |accessdate=November 12, 2016}} and often appears on CNN and KTTV Fox 11 News{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX-g6TeN2_U|title=Eric Bauman on the first Jerry Brown vs. Meg Whitman debate|publisher=Los Angeles Democratic Party|date=September 30, 2010|accessdate=November 12, 2016|via=YouTube}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyN97Nb83JM|title=Bauman vs. Tea Partiers on Fox|publisher=Los Angeles Democratic Party|date=December 31, 1969|accessdate=November 12, 2016|via=YouTube}} on issues relating to Los Angeles County and California Democratic politics. Bauman also makes regular monthly appearances on Charter Communications' California Edition.{{cite web|url=http://www.ericbauman.com/eric-bauman-on-california-edition/|title=Eric Bauman on California Edition |accessdate=November 12, 2016}}

He is a senior adviser to the speaker of the California State Assembly, Anthony Rendon, and was previously for John Pérez and Toni Atkins, in addition to having been Governor Gray Davis' Southern California director, and having been Deputy Insurance Commissioner under then-Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi.

Before attending the 2016 Democratic National Convention as a PLEO delegate, Bauman was featured in a special edition of KNBCLA's News Conference with Conan Nolan.{{cite web|url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/as-seen-on/NC-Extra-BAUMAN-072416-final_Los-Angeles-387989282.html/|title=NewsConference Extra All Eyes on Philadelphia DNC|accessdate=November 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804014240/http://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/as-seen-on/NC-Extra-BAUMAN-072416-final_Los-Angeles-387989282.html|archive-date=August 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}

Bauman put in a bid to be chair of the California Democratic Party in 2017, defeating his opponent Kimberly Ellis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-democratic-party-chair-20170516-story.html|title='Old school versus new school:' The battle over who will run the California Democratic Party|last1=Willon|first1=Phil|date=2017-05-16|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-05-18|last2=Mehta|first2=Seema|issn=0458-3035}}

On May 20, 2017, he was elected chair of the California Democratic Party at the annual state convention. He was the first openly gay person and the first Jew to be chair of the party.{{cite news|url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/desert-outlook/2017/03/30/california-democratic-party-chairman-gay-candidate/99848714/|title=May election: Will a gay man lead California Democrats?|work=Desert Sun|accessdate=November 30, 2018}}

On November 29, 2018, Bauman resigned from his position as chair of the California Democratic Party after lawsuits alleged that he committed sexual harassment, discrimination and sexual assault.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-democratic-party-chairman-eric-bauman-resignation-20181129-story.html|title=California Democratic Party leader Eric Bauman to resign after accusations of sexual misconduct|date=2018-11-30|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2020-03-25}} These included allegations by Bauman's assistant, William Floyd, that "Bauman forcibly performed oral sex on him several times and that the party failed to respond appropriately to Bauman’s behavior". In his lawsuit, "Floyd alleges Bauman threatened him, telling him "if you cross me, I will break you.""{{Cite web |url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article229660519.html |title=The Sacramento Bee |access-date=August 19, 2019 |archive-date=August 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819181751/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article229660519.html |url-status=dead }}

The lawsuits were settled in 2020 for nearly $3 million.{{Cite news|last=Mai-Duc|first=Christine|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-democratic-party-pays-more-than-1-million-to-settle-harassment-discrimination-claims-11578076342|title=California Democratic Party Pays More Than $2.9 Million to Settle Harassment, Discrimination Claims|date=2020-01-04|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2020-03-25|issn=0099-9660}}

Bauman has been criticized for his ties to California's pharmaceutical industry. He lobbied against Proposition 61 which would have prohibited the state from buying drugs that are more expensive than the price the Department of Veterans Affairs pays.{{cite web | author=Matier & Ross | title=Democratic adviser Eric Bauman collects cash to fight drug measure | website=San Francisco Chronicle | date=2016-06-13 | url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Democratic-adviser-Eric-Bauman-collects-cash-to-8088098.php | accessdate=2017-05-21}}
- {{cite web | last=Willon | first=Phil | title=California Democratic Party leaders may be asked to fess up when paid to back ballot measures | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2016-12-01 | url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-democratic-party-leaders-may-1479666451-htmlstory.html | accessdate=2017-05-21}} This criticism re-emerged following his election to become chair of the California Democratic Party.{{cite web | first=Jonathan J. |last=Cooper |agency=Associated Press| title=California Democratic chair race angers 'Berniecrats' | website=Miami Herald | date=2017-05-21 | url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article151815052.html | accessdate=2017-05-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521115226/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article151815052.html | archive-date=May 21, 2017 | url-status=dead }}

He lived in North Hollywood with his husband of many years, Michael Andraychak. His uncle is the musician Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, formerly of Sha Na Na.{{cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2014/09/24/yowza-its-bowzer-on-social-security/|title=Yowza! It’s Bowzer! (On Social Security)|last=Smith|first=Jada|date=September 24, 2014|access-date=June 17, 2025|website=The New York Times}}

In November 2018, the California Democratic Party vice chairman, Daraka Larimore-Hall, filed a complaint accusing Bauman of having sexually assaulted or harassed Larimore-Hall's staff members.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Party-official-accuses-Democratic-chairman-Bauman-13418913.php|title=Party official accuses state Democratic chairman of sexual misconduct|date=2018-11-25|work=SF Chronicle|access-date=2018-11-25}}
- {{Cite news|url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018/11/24/cal-dem-chairman-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/|title=Cal Dem Chairman Accused Of Sexual Misconduct |website=CBS|date=2018-11-24|access-date=2018-11-25}}
- {{Cite news|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article222153880.html|title=California Democratic Party leader investigated for sexual misconduct|last=Koseff|first=Alexei|date=2018-11-24|work=The Sacramento Bee|access-date=2018-11-25|issn=0890-5738}}

Bauman died on June 16, 2025 at a hospital in Los Angeles, following a long illness.{{cite web|title=Former California and Los Angeles Democratic Party chair Eric Bauman dies at 66|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-06-18/former-california-democratic-party-chair-eric-bauman-dies-at-66-at-66|date=June 18, 2025|last=Nelson|first=Laura J.|publisher=Los Angeles Times|access-date=June 18, 2025}}{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Blake |last2=Gardiner |first2=Dustin |date=June 17, 2025 |title=Newsom’s day in court |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook/2025/06/17/newsoms-day-in-court-00409579 |url-status=live |work=Politico}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.ericbauman.com/ Eric C. Bauman] personal website
• [http://www.lacdp.org/about/meet-the-chair/ Meet the Chair] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121130912/http://www.lacdp.org/about/meet-the-chair/ |date=January 21, 2020 }} Los Angeles County Democratic Party
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141102215700/http://www.cadem.org/about/officers?id=0003 Officers] California Democratic Party

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{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=John L. Burton}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the California Democratic Party|years=2017–2018}}

{{s-aft|after=Alex Gallardo-Rooker
Acting}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bauman, Eric C.}}

Category:1958 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:Living people

Category:American nurses

Category:American gay politicians

Category:Jewish American people in California politics

Category:California Democratic Party chairs

Category:Gay Jews

Category:Politicians from Los Angeles

Category:People from the Bronx

Category:21st-century American Jews