A Family Name on the Ballot, but the Odds Are Long
Tonight’s Cincinnati mayoral primary features a surprising name on the ballot: Cory Bowman — the younger half-brother of Vice President J.D. Vance. A political outsider by all accounts, Bowman is a 36-year-old coffee shop owner and pastor running in a deeply blue city that hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in decades.
Bowman faces a steep uphill battle in a three-way primary against Democratic incumbent Aftab Pureval and fellow Republican Brian Frank. The top two candidates from tonight’s primary will advance to the general election on November 4.
A Quiet Endorsement, a Loud Reality
Vice President Vance took to social media Tuesday to offer a last-minute endorsement. “Hey Cincinnati! My brother Cory Bowman is running for mayor and is on the ballot today for the primary,” Vance wrote. “He’s a good guy with a heart for serving his community.”
Despite the endorsement, Bowman remains a long shot. In 2021, Pureval cruised to re-election by over 30 percentage points — a landslide that reaffirmed Cincinnati’s Democratic stronghold status. And in a year when turnout favors establishment incumbents, Bowman’s insurgent grassroots campaign will need a miracle to break through.
Running as a Pastor, Not a Politician
Bowman’s approach to campaigning is rooted in his identity as a community servant. “Whenever I have conversations with people in the city, we don’t start it as ‘You’re red, I’m blue,’” he said. “It’s more like, ‘This is my experience. I’m a coffee shop owner. I’m a pastor in the West End.’”
He distances himself from partisan politics, instead advocating for practical solutions to city issues. “A lot of times, you can’t really put a right or left stamp on the issues of the city,” Bowman said. “You got to put it on, ‘Practically, this is what we’re standing up for.’”
A Familiar Pattern?
If elected, Bowman wouldn’t be the first relative of a vice president to hold public office. Greg Pence, the older brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, represented Indiana’s 6th district in Congress before retiring in 2023.
For now, Bowman’s campaign is a test of whether grassroots values, local authenticity, and a recognizable name can overcome deep partisan headwinds. Whether voters will follow Vance’s endorsement or Cincinnati’s political tradition remains to be seen tonight.
