About Dr Peter bauer
About Dr Peter bauer
Forward to a better future for Alaska
Forward to a better future for Alaska
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Dr Pete during his Family Practice internship
Dr. Bauer commanded the 52nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron in Germany from Aug 1998 - Nov 2000
Why I'm running for the District O Senate seat
I’m running for the District O Senate seat to help swing the pendulum of state government power back toward us, the Alaskans whose government it is. Too much of our state’s wealth is disappearing into murky deals and speculative big corp tax breaks while the educational, medical, and physical infrastructure on which we depend are all short changed.
A career in military service afforded LeeAnn and me the security of retired pay and affordable health care coverage. Every Alaskan should have that, too.
My sister depends for her life on medications and ongoing specialty care that are unaffordable to almost anybody. Thankfully, she lives in a state that has not substantially cut its Medicaid coverage like Alaska is in the process of doing. We need to reverse these cruel, shortsighted policy decisions; they are creating artificial barriers to eligibility that will cause up to 40,000 Alaskans to lose health care coverage. ALL Alaskans must be assured they will have the care they need regardless of their circumstances.
Our daughter went to school near NASA Johnson Space Center, where I worked at the time. Her education was enriched not only by teachers happy in their careers, but by robust sports, band, and other extracurricular activities. Each kid in Alaska, even those in the most remote areas where these things are harder and more expensive to accomplish, deserves all of that, too. And so do the educators!
We deserve a more transparent and accountable government than we have now. That means lawmakers who listen to YOU and legislate for you and your family. As I run for office, I want to listen and learn what needs and solutions you have in mind. And that won’t change when I’m your state Senator.
Beginnings
Dr Pete during his Family Practice internshipFrom the woods to a career of service
Dr Pete grew up in rural Northern Minnesota, the eldest of four children. In addition to hunting and fishing after school, he earned a private pilot license at age 17.
Thanks primarily to financial aid as well as working two full-time summers jobs, he was the first in his lineage to attend college. He graduated summa cum laude from Bemidji State University with a degree in chemistry.
Having been accepted for both USAF pilot training and Mayo Medical School, the future Dr Pete had a tough decision to make. He chose medicine.
In 1985, He earned an MD, followed by an internship in Family Medicine at the University of North Dakota Grand Forks. From there, he combined his two professional passions by becoming a USAF flight surgeon.
"Nobody is born with bootstraps. For many, bootstraps come in the form of financial aid and I'm an example of that.
Without accessible grant and loan programs, there would have been no higher education and no career of service."
Peter Bauer, MD, MPH
Colonel, USAF (Retired)
NASA Flight Surgeon
Career and experience
Dr. Bauer commanded the 52nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron in Germany from Aug 1998 - Nov 2000Air Force to NASA to Alaska
During his 20 year Air Force career, Dr Pete earned a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Utah, board certification from the American Board of Preventive Medicine in both Aerospace Medicine and Occupational Medicine, and graduated from two professional military education programs: Air Command & Staff College and Air War College.
He served two overseas assignments including a command tour. He was deployed to Operations Desert Shield and Southern Watch, and logged combat sorties from Germany over the Balkans during Operation Allied Force.
Following his command tour, he was selected for a special duty assignment as a flight surgeon to the astronauts and their families at NASA Johnson Space Center, where he remained until his USAF retirement in the rank of Colonel.
Being one of a small cadre of US physicians practicing Space Medicine, he remained at JSC Medical Operations as a civil servant, supporting the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Commercial Crew, and Constellation (now Artemis) programs. During the course of his USAF and NASA careers, he logged over 1400 hours as a flight surgeon crewmember in aircraft as varied as the F-4D Phantom, F-16D, and NASA's "Vomit Comet."
When an opportunity arose to finally move to Alaska by way of a contract DoD flight surgeon position at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in late 2017, he took early retirement from NASA.
With the end of the DoD contract in 2023, he fully retired from medical practice. While having more time to enjoy novice hockey, cross country skiing, hiking, and flying around Alaska, he also became increasingly dismayed at the widening gap between government and the people it exists to serve. LeeAnn and Dr Pete decided to "un-retire" to begin one more career of service to bring transparency and accountability back to state governance.
Dr Pete and his wife LeeAnn live in the Mat-Su Borough.