Vance backs half-brother ahead of Cincinnati mayoral primary

Vice President Vance called on voters to back his half-brother in the primary for the Cincinnati mayoral race on Tuesday.

“Hey Cincinnati! My brother Cory Bowman is running for mayor and is on the ballot today for the primary. He’s a good guy with a heart for serving his community,” Vance said in a post on the social platform X. “Get out there and vote for him!” 

Bowman is running against incumbent Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval in a nonpartisan top-two primary, in which all candidates run on the same ballot and the two best-performing candidates advance to the general election in November. One other candidate, Republican Brian Frank, is also running in the primary. 

Pureval is almost certain to advance in the primary in the heavily Democratic-leaning city, which hasn’t had a Republican mayor in more than half a century. But it remains to be seen whether Bowman or Frank will advance on Tuesday.

Even if Bowman advances, he will be a long shot to win the general election, though advancing in the primary would give him some added attention. 

Bowman told The Cincinnati Enquirer in February that Vance inspired his own run for office, and he spoke to the vice president in the “initial stages” of running. He said he’s prepared for an uphill battle for mayor. 

Bowman is a pastor at a church he and his wife founded and also owns a local coffee shop.