Paul Bastian (Royal Oak City Commission At-large, Michigan, candidate 2025)

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Paul Bastian

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Royal Oak City Commission At-large

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Oakland University

Personal

Birthplace

Royal Oak, MI

Profession

Realtor

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Paul Bastian ran for election to the Royal Oak City Commission At-large in Michigan. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Bastian completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Paul Bastian provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2025:

• Birth date: March 14, 1978
• Birth place: Royal Oak, Michigan
• High school: Royal Oak George A. Dondero High School
• Bachelor's: Oakland University
• Gender: Male
• Profession: Realtor
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Balance. Inclusion. Collaboration. Community.
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram

Elections

General election

General election for Royal Oak City Commission At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Royal Oak City Commission At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Paul Bastian (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	David Buzynski (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Woody Gontina (Nonpartisan)
		Brandon Kolo (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Carolyn Martz (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Eric Smethurst (Nonpartisan)

---

	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Bastian's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bastian in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Paul Bastian completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bastian's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a 40+ year resident of Royal Oak, a graduate of both private and public Royal Oak schools, and I earned a BA in Communications from Oakland University. I'm a Realtor by profession, and I have previous relevant experience in project management and financial administration. I'm currently a member of Royal Oak's Zoning Board of Appeals as well as Secretary of the Historic District Commission. I'm running for this office because I've lived virtually my entire life here, I love this city, and I want to give back. I believe that current city leadership has done a great job of making sure that Royal Oak is a safe, desirable, and welcoming place to live. As two of our current commissioners are not seeking re-election, I want to pick up the baton from them in order to carry on the work that'll be needed to ensure that Royal Oak continues to be a place where anyone, at any age or stage of life, can thrive.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Housing

  Housing, as well as land use and zoning, is one of the most important issues the city will face over the next several. In particular, there is a serious housing shortage, which is a national issue, but it needs to be addressed here in the community. Put simply, we need to find sensible ways to get more residents into the city.

  We also need to ensure that longtime residents and seniors have viable housing options. As it stands, there are only two dedicated senior facilities in the city, and both have substantial wait times to get in. We need to make sure we’re looking out for people who want to stay in Royal Oak, but whose homes might not be suitable to meet their needs any longer.
• Business/Local Economy I intend to work with business owners, property owners, government officials, and the community at large to promote occupancy growth in the downtown business district. I’d also like to see new corridors of commerce identified and fostered. I want for Royal Oak to be a regional leader in entrepreneurship. I’m a strong advocate for local and independent business, and I’ll work to create more opportunities for entrepreneurs to center their businesses in Royal Oak.
• Community Health & Wellness I think this is an area where Royal Oak is already on a particularly good track. Our city parks are great, and they’re crucial to helping residents maintain physical health. Some parks have recently been updated, and some have had new exercise equipment installed. I’d like to see that program expanded. And especially since the pandemic, people have become more aware of the importance of mental health. There are opportunities to create community programming that addresses mental health issues, whether through the library or other city boards or committees, to provide information and reduce stigmas related to mental health.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have a very strong interest in public safety, land use, property rights, and historical preservation.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official must be an honest person, first and foremost. They must have passion for the work. They need to be a critical thinker, with an open mind, and the humility to admit when there are better ideas or solutions at the table. Above all, an elected official must weigh the positives and negatives of every issue and truly put what they believe is best for the greatest number of people first.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope that, when my time comes, that the world will be a better place, even incrementally so, for my having been in it.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember when Ronald Reagan was shot. I had just turned three years old a couple of weeks prior.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as an usher at The Main At Theatre. I worked there for about three years, during my sophomore through senior years of high school. It was a great place to work, to take in some culture, and to cement friendships that I have to this day.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Greater Metropolitan Association of Realtors (GMAR)

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 58
United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 1
Royal Oak Police Officers Association
Royal Oak Professional Firefighters Local 431
The Sierra Club
Royal Oak Area Democratic Club
Haley Stevens, U.S. Representative, Michigan, 11th District
Mallory McMorrow, Michigan State Senator, 8th District
Natalie Price, Michigan State Representative, 6th District
Dave Coulter, Oakland County Executive
Robert Wittenberg, Oakland County Treasurer
Dave Woodward, Chair, Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Jim Nash, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner
Michael Fournier, Royal Oak Mayor

Monica Hunt, Royal Oak Mayor Pro Tem

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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Royal Oak City Commission At-large

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