Bill Rauch Mayor

Beginning in 1999, Mr. Bill Rauch served as Mayor of Beaufort, South Carolina, for nearly ten years. Over the course of his three successive terms, Mayor Bill Rauch leveraged an extensive background in politics, business, and journalism to improve the city and involve the citizens of Beaufort in city affairs. During his time as Mayor of Beaufort, Bill Rauch became the face and voice of Beaufort politics. In addition to handling all press directly, Bill Rauch communicated openly with other city, county, and state officials. Bill Rauch also focused on maintaining strong relationships with the Beaufort business community. Some of Bill Rauch’s achievements as Mayor of Beaufort include upgrading the city’s bond rating twice, settling outstanding lawsuits from the previous administration, and inviting public comment during city council meetings. Before he decided to run for Mayor, Bill Rauch was a City Councilman for two terms. Bill Rauch’s political career began as a member of former New York City Mayor Ed Koch’s administration. During Ed Koch’s first term, Bill Rauch was assigned to be Koch’s sole advance man. Bill Rauch took on the role of Press Secretary for Ed Koch’s second term. In this position, Bill Rauch handled all press duties for the mayor’s office, including managing publicity crises and liaising with 42 city agencies. Before entering the field of politics, Bill Rauch worked as a journalist. Bill Rauch served as a newspaper Reporter and Editor for numerous newspapers, including Harbor Light, Indianapolis Star, Village Voice, Fire Island News, and The Real Paper. While in Beaufort, Bill Rauch founded the city’s first Sunday paper, The Lowcountry Ledger. Bill Rauch earned his Bachelor’s degree with honors in American History from Harvard College.