Republican Cory Bowman, Vice President J.D. Vance’s half-brother, lost his bid for Cincinnati mayor.

Democratic incumbent Aftab Pureval secured the victory.

USA TODAY shared more:

Crime had dominated the headlines and campaign in the southern Ohio race.

Cincinnati leaders faced criticism this summer after several high-profile crimes, including the stabbing of Patrick Heringer in his home and the video of a brawl downtown that went viral.

Bowman and Republicans tried to paint the city as overrun with crime. Pureval countered that the city leadership combatted crime through numerous measures, including implementing a stricter curfew and recruiting more officers.

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In a debate with Bowman sponsored by The Enquirer, a USA TODAY Network partner, Pureval called Bowman and his supporters “MAGA extremists.”

The race was officially nonpartisan, but Bowman won an endorsement from the local GOP while Pureval had the backing of local Democrats.

“Last night, I spoke with Mayor Aftab and congratulated him on being reelected. I told him I will be praying for him and his precious family, along with all the leadership elected to City Hall. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2 that we are to pray for all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity,” Bowman said on Wednesday.

“If our leaders govern successfully, we succeed as citizens of Cincinnati. I honestly hope the current leadership has truly listened to the voices of those most affected during the difficult times our city has faced these past few years—and that their future policies will reflect it,” he continued.

“I believe that to achieve success, the primary focus of City Hall must be public safety, improved infrastructure, and a principled, prioritized budget. I encourage every citizen to hold City Hall to a higher standard of transparency and accountability when it comes to the needs of those in our city,” he added.

Full text:

God is good.

Last night, I spoke with Mayor Aftab and congratulated him on being reelected. I told him I will be praying for him and his precious family, along with all the leadership elected to City Hall.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2 that we are to pray for all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

If our leaders govern successfully, we succeed as citizens of Cincinnati. I honestly hope the current leadership has truly listened to the voices of those most affected during the difficult times our city has faced these past few years—and that their future policies will reflect it.

I believe that to achieve success, the primary focus of City Hall must be public safety, improved infrastructure, and a principled, prioritized budget.

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I encourage every citizen to hold City Hall to a higher standard of transparency and accountability when it comes to the needs of those in our city.

Together, united under a common goal of safe, clean, and prosperous streets, we can secure hope for future generations of Cincinnati.

As for my family and me, we are extremely grateful to every volunteer, every team member, and every person who helped us complete our very first political campaign. God brought some of the best people alongside us to ensure we finished with integrity and focus.

We knocked on over 18,000 doors, earned trust from some of the great individuals and organizations in our city, and elevated the most critical issues facing Cincinnati into public conversation.

I want to thank every voter who cast a ballot with our name on it. I do not take that trust lightly, and it motivates me to keep fighting for all 52 neighborhoods of our great city.

I want to thank my beautiful wife, Jordan, who has stood by my side. Through every turn and obstacle, she has been a constant source of grace, strength, and faith. Thank you, sweetheart. I love you with all my heart.

And lastly, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is only by the grace of God and my relationship with my Heavenly Father that I have a peace and joy that surpasses anything this world can offer—and that same peace is available to anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus.

To every person reading this—whether you supported me or opposed me, whether you agree or disagree, whether you reached out with encouragement or are about to leave a negative comment—know that I love you, but more importantly, Jesus loves you.

For Cincinnati,
Cory Bowman

“Cincinnati, it’s the honor of my life to serve as your mayor. I’m humbled, and I’m ready, to continue our work for the next four years,” Pureval said Tuesday night.

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The Hill noted:

Pureval first won office in 2021 after defeating former Cincinnati Mayor David Mann (D). The race is technically nonpartisan.

Pureval had easily trounced Bowman during the May open primary, where the mayor received more than 80 percent of the vote. Since both men were the two top vote-getters in the primary, they moved on to compete in the November general election.

Republicans haven’t had a nominee on the general election ballot for Cincinnati mayor in more than a dozen years.

 

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