JD Vance’s brother to run for Cincinnati mayor

The younger half brother of US vice-president JD Vance will face off with the Democratic incumbent in Cincinnati’s mayoral race in November, after finishing second in a primary on Tuesday.

Cory Bowman, 36, who shares a father with the vice-president, is running as a Republican in the Ohio city.

The political newcomer received an endorsement earlier on Tuesday from Vance, who wrote on X that Bowman is “a good guy with a heart for serving his community.”

Bowman, a pastor at an evangelical church in Cincinnati, will now run against current mayor Aftab Pureval in November’s general election.

Results indicate he received around 13% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary, well below Pureval who got around 83%.

But it was enough to have Bowman finish second ahead of another Republican candidate, Brian Frank. The two candidates with the most votes go on to run for mayor in the fall.

Bowman, who also co-owns a coffee shop in Cincinnati, said he was inspired to run after attending Trump and Vance’s inauguration.

But he has told the Associated Press that his political journey is separate from his brother’s.

“As far as the relationship with JD, I tell people he’s my brother, he’s not a political counsellor to me,” Bowman said. “He is not somebody that planted me here in this city.”

“There was nobody that pushed me into it, nobody that told me that this is a pathway I should go,” he added. “But I just thought this would be a great way to help impact the city in another realm as well, because that’s always been the focus.”

The Republican has campaigned on removing Cincinnati’s designation as a sanctuary city – a term used for cities that shield migrants from federal law enforcement. He also has spoken about tackling “financial corruption” and bolstering safety.

Despite the notoriety of his older brother, political watchers note that November’s race will be uphill for Bowman.

Cincinnati has traditionally been run by Democratic mayors, making it a difficult campaign for any Republican. The city has not elected a Republican mayor in over 50 years.