Steve Vaus (also known as Buck Howdy; born April 7, 1962)[2] is an American recording artist and politician serving as the mayor of Poway, California, since 2014.

[3] In 2020, he ran for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, losing narrowly to Joel Anderson.

As a child, he lived on a cattle ranch in Grants Pass, Oregon, and in Westchester County, New York.

[5] After graduating from Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, New York, Vaus relocated to San Diego to be closer to his parents.

[10] He has been praised for his response to the Poway synagogue shooting in 2019, and he told the world that "we will put our arms around one another and walk through this dark day together".