Cory Bowman, a 36-year-old pastor and co-owner of a local coffee shop, has announced his intention to run for the mayoral position in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bowman, who is also the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, is the first Republican to vie for the city's top job since 2009.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bowman has already pulled petitions to run for the mayoral office. He took to social media to announce that he is currently gathering signatures to secure his place on the November ballot.
In an Instagram post, Bowman wrote, "Weeks ago, my flight touched down at [Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport], returning home from the most monumental inauguration in my generation. When I landed, I knew the city where my family and I live and love cannot fall behind in the critical years ahead."
Bowman, who moved to Cincinnati with his family in 2020, is passionate about the city's future. He is running for office to offer the citizens of Cincinnati an alternative vision for the city, one that promises prosperity, growth, and joy. "A population should never be complacent with how things are," Bowman continued. "They should have the choice to decide their own future."
As reported by the Daily Beast, Bowman, who grew up on a farm north of Cincinnati, founded The River Church in the city's West End in 2020. The church teaches about the Rapture and encourages speaking in tongues. Bowman also co-owns Kings Arms Coffee in the same neighborhood. "My heart fell in love with it," he said of the area.
Bowman's decision to enter politics was influenced by his attendance at the inauguration of his half-brother and President Donald Trump. "There's nobody that cheered louder when he was getting sworn in because he's my brother," Bowman said of the Vice President, whom he described as 'an incredible role model of mine.'
Bowman and Vance share the same father, Donald Bowman, who was Vance's mother's second husband. Vance, who took his grandfather's last name after being put up for adoption in kindergarten, was able to develop a relationship with Donald and his half-siblings as a teenager. Vance even lived with the family at their Ohio farmhouse for a few weeks one summer, as recounted in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.
In his book, Vance described his father as a 'devout Christian,' which inspired Vance to experiment with his own religious views, eventually converting to Catholicism as an adult. Cory also described his father as religious, and said he mostly aligns with conservative values.
Bowman's mayoral campaign will focus on issues such as the 'red tape' slowing development and the concentration of low-income housing in the West End, which led to a federal housing complaint against the city by 10 residents.
However, Bowman's path to the mayoral office is not without challenges. Eight other individuals have pulled petitions for the position, including incumbent Democrat Aftab Pureval. None of the candidates, including Pureval, have submitted the required 500 signatures to be on the ballot, which are due on February 20.
Despite the competition, Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Alex Linser expressed confidence in the current administration. "Mayor Pureval has done a great job and anyone can see the city is better run today than before he took office," he said. "The voters of Cincinnati have put a lot of trust in Democratic leaders. It is a safe, well-run city where you can raise a family."
Linser also voiced his concerns about the potential influence of the Trump presidency on the city's governance. "We don't need the kind of chaos that is coming out of the Trump presidency infiltrating City Hall," he stated. Despite these concerns, Bowman remains committed to his vision for Cincinnati, a vision rooted in conservative values and the promise of a prosperous future.
Login