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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans and Democrats both didn't want to talk about Sittenfeld's political future
President Donald Trump's pardon of former Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld means he could run again for office now that his rights have been restored after his felony bribery conviction. If he wanted to, of course. Sittenfeld didn't say anything publicly on Thursday about his future plans now that his federal corruption case is behind him. Those close to him also weren't talking. Does the man who people once saw as the frontrunner for Cincinnati mayor and one of the region's rising Democratic stars now have a political future again? Republicans and Democrats in Cincinnati seemed united in not wanting to say much about Sittenfeld or his political future, if there is any. The pardon by a Republican president of a Democratic politician has put both parties in an awkward position. As for Sittenfeld himself, he did not respond to messages from The Enquirer seeking comment. In a letter he wrote to the judge in 2023 before he was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, Sittenfeld said his focus was no longer on his personal ambition but "now about my family life, my faith and about helping others who are enduring life's crucibles.' He still had $850,493 in his campaign committee's coffers as of his last filing in January 2025, according to records with the Hamilton County Board of Elections. His past conviction and Trump endorsement doesn't disqualify him from a future run a public office, even in a city where Trump lost by a three-to-one margin, said David Niven, the University of Cincinnati political professor. But Niven doesn't think you'll see Sittenfeld campaign signs anytime soon based on his past statements and the fact that his previous political life almost cost him everything. "I think he could if he wanted it," Niven said. "People love a redemption story. He obviously demonstrated a capacity to connect with people. But I don't see him on the comeback trail." Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, who served with Sittenfeld on city council for less than a year in 2020 before Sittenfeld was suspended from council, had more to say than most. In a texted statement to The Enquirer, she saw some future for Sittenfeld in the city but didn't specify what. "There is more work to do, and with his legal matters behind him, P.G is now able to get back to work in some way for the people of Cincinnati," Kearney said. She praised Sittenfeld's past contributions including to the "underserved communities" and pushing for affordable housing. She said Sittenfeld was working to establish a civil rights commission when he resigned from city council. Many people who knew Sittenfeld and worked alongside him didn't publicly celebrate or condemn the pardon. Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, who served on Cincinnati City Council with Sittenfeld, released a statement saying he didn't know much about the pardon. "I know what you all know, which is what I'm reading," Landsman said. "I'll wait to learn more, and may have more to say then. In the meantime, I don't know much, other than what I'm reading in the news." One of the region's more prominent Democratic funders and Sittenfeld supporter, philanthropist Richard Rosenthal, told The Enquirer it was better not to say anything. "There's stuff that I'm thinking about, but I don't think that it would be helpful to your readers, or to P.G. or to my family for me to comment on the pardon," Rosenthal said. Republicans who were not sympathetic to Sittenfeld during his political career were reticent to say much about Trump's decision to pardon Sittenfeld. Hamilton County GOP Chairman Russ Mock sent a statement to The Enquirer that gave Trump credit but also expressed concerns about the pardon. "President Trump certainly knows about how federal and state corruption prosecutions can be wielded as political weapons, but it could undermine anti-corruption efforts locally, especially as the original conviction was based on a jury trial with substantial evidence," Mock said. When asked for an interview to elaborate, Mock said he didn't have time. Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou, who was the Hamilton County chair when Sittenfeld was on city council, did not respond to a message seeking comment. Few of the all-Democratic, nine-member Cincinnati City Council had much to say. The nine members were elected with the pledge of rebuilding public trust in the wake of the corruption scandals that led to the arrest of Sittenfeld and two others Democratic members, Jeff Pastor and Tamaya Dennard. "There's no upside to commenting on that thing," said Cincinnati Councilman Mark Jeffreys, one of nine Democratic city council members. City council members Scotty Johnson, Anna Albi, Meeka Owens and Cincinnati's Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval declined to comment when asked by The Enquirer on Thursday about Sittenfeld. Councilman Seth Walsh wouldn't speculate on Sittenfeld's future. "The corruption scandal that happened is an incredible black mark that happened on Cincinnati, period," Walsh said. "Whether he has a political future, whether any of the individuals that are involved in it have any future with Cincinnati, is less relevant to me than the work that needs to happen to rebuild the public trust." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: PG Sittenfeld's political future uncertain with Trump's pardon
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance didn't vote for his half-brother in Cincinnati's mayoral primary despite posting endorsement
Vice President JD Vance didn't vote for his half-brother in the Cincinnati, Ohio, non-partisan mayoral primary on May 6 despite posting an endorsement of him ahead of the vote. Vance, a former Ohio senator, advocated for Cory Bowman just hours before polls closed. "He's a good guy with a heart for serving his community," Vance wrote on X. "Get out there and vote for him!" Bowman received 2,926 votes, but Vance wasn't one of them, according to the voter list collated by the Hamilton County Board of Elections, which revealed Vance didn't cast a ballot in the race, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Records from the Elections Board reveal whether a voter cast a ballot and if they voted for a Democrat or a Republican, but it doesn't show which candidate they backed. Vance has a residence and is registered to vote in the East Walnut Hill neighborhood of the city. The Enquirer asked Bowman why Vance didn't vote for him. "I don't have any information or comment on that," Bowman said. Bowman, who shares a father with Vance, came in second out of three candidates in the primary, meaning that he will have a place in the general election. However, he came far behind Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval, receiving 13 percent of the vote to Pureval's 83 percent. Pureval and Bowman will face off on November 4. Bowman, a Republican from the College Hill neighborhood of the city, is set to face a difficult struggle in a city where President Donald Trump and Vance lost by a three-to-one margin in last year's presidential election. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris received 76 percent of the city's vote to Trump's 24 percent. Similarly, all of Cincinnati City Council's current members are Democrats. 'I'm deeply grateful to every Cincinnati voter who cast a ballot to advance us to the general election,' Bowman said on X after the vote. 'The greatest gift local government can offer its residents is a choice. That's exactly what voters will have this November. There's much work ahead, and we're ready to show our great city that we're the best candidate for the job.' 'My family and I are overwhelmed by the encouragement and support we've received over recent weeks, and we're excited for all that will be accomplished in the months ahead,' he added. Cincinnati is a strongly Democratic city, and Republicans haven't put forward a candidate since future congressman Brad Wenstrup lost to Mark Mallory in 2009. Bowman serves as a pastor at the River Church in the West End neighborhood, and he also runs the King's Arms Coffee Shop in College Hill. He has previously said he was inspired to run for office after attending the inauguration of Trump and Vance in January. 'As I was flying back here from the inauguration, it occurred to me that I could do something to serve the community,' he said previously. It has been reported that Vance spent time on the Bowman farm in Preble County in his youth, and the younger half-brother, Bowman, who is 36 while Vance is 40, has described their relationship as a 'friendly sibling rivalry.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance endorsed his brother's Ohio mayoral bid. His office won't say if he voted.
Vice President JD Vance heartily endorsed his brother in a Cincinnati mayoral primary this week. But did Vance cast a vote in the race? He's eligible to vote absentee in the city, according to a Hamilton County Board of Elections registered voter list. But public records suggest he didn't do so, and Vance won't say. Vance's brother, Republican Cory Bowman, emerged from the nonpartisan primary Tuesday evening as one of the two top vote getters, earning roughly 13 percent of the vote to incumbent Democrat Aftab Pureval's 83 percent. Vance's office declined to answer repeated questions about whether he was among the 2,894 people who voted for his underdog brother. But he certainly tried to persuade others, posting Tuesday on X, 'Get out there and vote for him!' Absentee and early voter logs are public in Hamilton County, where the election took place. And Vance, who represented Ohio in the Senate and still has a home there, was not among the names listed on the elections office ledger. He could have theoretically snuck out of Washington and voted in person. But he had no known travel and spent most of Tuesday in and around the White House for meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the FIFA Task Force and a swearing in for special envoy Steve Witkoff. 'We don't think he did that, but we can't say for sure,' said a person who works at the Hamilton County elections office who was granted anonymity to speak freely. The person said Vance did not request an absentee ballot. 'One would think the vice president showing up to vote would cause a stir.' Bowman did not respond to a request for comment. Under Ohio law, the voting records of some key officials such as judges can be public record but not published on the local boards of elections website. The vice presidency is not one of those positions. 'Voter history is not finalized until after certification of the election in a few weeks,' the person familiar with Hamilton County elections said in a text. 'You can't be 100% sure until then. But the BOE's records indicate there was no request for an absentee ballot." Vance will have another opportunity to help a brother out ahead of Nov. 4, the general election. It will be an uphill contest. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the Democratic bulwark with over 56 percent of the county's vote, far ahead of President Donald Trump's 42 percent. But as Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose told Bowman's backers a few days before the election, in low turnout, off-year elections, 'the door you're knocking on, the voter you're talking to, the family you're talking to could be the difference maker in this election.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vance name fails to boost Bowman in Cincinnati mayor's race
Cincinnati hasn't had a Republican mayor in more than 50 years, and that streak isn't in danger based on Tuesday's primary election results. Incumbent Mayor Aftab Pureval is poised to cruise into a second term with little resistance. He dominated the low-turnout primary with 82.5% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Hamilton County Board of Elections. Republican Cory Bowman, Vice President J.D. Vance's half-brother, came in a distant second with 13% of the vote. More: What the primary tells us about Hyde Park, JD Vance, and the November election The two men will now go head-to-head in November for the mayor's seat. Barring some scandal or self-inflicted political wounds by Pureval, I don't expect the outcome to change. Bowman, who has struggled to rally support, might get beaten even worse in a general election when more voters usually turn out. Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval during The Cincinnati Enquirer mayoral debate at the Covedale Center for the Arts Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Pureval expressed gratitude to the people of Cincinnati. "Election Day is always a special day in our democracy. It is our opportunity as citizens to make our voices heard and choose the direction we want our city to go in the next four years. I don't take lightly the responsibility the voters have given me over the past three years," Pureval told me in a phone interview. Of Tuesday's election results, he said, "I'm not sure I can read anything into it other than the people think the city is on the right path." Bowman, a West End pastor and coffee shop owner, kept the faith despite the Grand Canyon-sized vote gap between him and Pureval. Advancing to November in his first political campaign was the goal, he said. I reached out to Bowman, but he didn't immediately return my call or text. "What I will say is that looks like he had a good head start, but we're kind of catching up a little bit," Bowman told the Enquirer. "So once I see the numbers there, I'll know what our mission, our focus needs to be going into November.' More: Forget the mayor's race. 27 want to run for Cincinnati City Council A good head start? I guess that's one way of looking at it, if you're wearing rose-colored glasses. Here's a more clear-eyed view. Bowman has a 16,000-vote Mount Everest he must climb the next six months in a Democratic-leaning city. He got less than 3,000 votes and won only two of 190 precincts. I'll be generous and say the chances of overcoming those numbers are highly improbable. Bowman's family ties might have helped him outlast Republican Brian Frank, whose performance was more dismal with less than 5% of the vote, but riding Vance's coattails won't be enough to unseat Pureval. The vice president endorsed Bowman just hours before the polls closed, seemingly without much effect. If Bowman wants any shot at a more respectable finish in November, he needs to give Cincinnatians a reason to vote for him. That starts with doing a better job of articulating his vision and plans for the city. Saying what you don't like and that new leadership is needed simply isn't enough. I'm glad that Bowman and Frank decided to run against Pureval. I think the public loses anytime candidates run unopposed for elected office. Citizens benefit whenever candidates have to debate their ideas, explain their vision, and defend their records. Seeing the contrast and having a choice matters. That's why I'm hoping Bowman can step up his game in the months ahead. Is he serious about being Cincinnati's mayor, or is he more interested in trading on his half-brother's celebrity for his own 15 minutes of fame? He managed to get featured in POLITICO Magazine before the primary. Winning might not be the point. Bowman could simply be using this race to raise his national profile or position himself for other political opportunities down the road. (Hey, it worked for Vivek Ramaswamy.) If so, that's even more of a reason for him to make a decent showing. The political future isn't typically bright for candidates who get trounced in elections. Cincinnati mayoral candidate Cory Bowman makes a statement as polling numbers show him trailing behind incumbent mayor Aftab Pureval, and advancing to the general election, at his election night party in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Meanwhile, Pureval has his sights set on another four years as mayor in what could be his last election. Nothing is certain, but Pureval said the thought of stepping away from politics after a second term has crossed his mind. "A lot of politics is timing, and there may not be an opportunity for me in elected office given the political realities in the state," Pureval said. "My goal was never to be a career politician. It was to do the most good with the time that I have. I'm genuinely passionate about public service, but that may not take the role of electoral politics." But that's a conversation for the future. Pureval said he's focused on the two most important jobs he has right now: being mayor and being a father to two sons under five. "You have a very brief amount of time in these roles, and I feel a sense of urgency to get the difficult things done and set Cincinnati up for success after I'm gone," Pureval said. Bowman doesn't have much time either. He'd better start knocking on some more doors. After Tuesday, the one to the mayor's office might already be closed. Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge can be reached at kaldridge@ On X: @kevaldrid. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: JD Vance's endorsement didn't help Bowman in mayoral primary | Opinion
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance's half-brother advances to fall election for Cincinnati mayor
Voters selected which Cincinnati Mayor candidates will advance to the November election. Cory Bowman, the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, will face Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. Both were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday's May Primary Ohio Election, according to the Associated Press. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Pureval led Bowman by almost 70 percentage points, the Hamilton County Board of Elections website said. Republican Brian Frank finished third. TRENDING STORIES: Pureval said on social media the city deserves a 'substantive and healthy debate of ideas about the future of our city' heading into the fall, the AP said. 'There is work ahead of us in Cincinnati, but I am incredibly proud of what we've accomplished over the past few years,' he said. 'We have made meaningful, tangible progress for folks across our community, and this is a moment to keep building on the momentum we've worked so hard to create.' Bowman said on social media that he is grateful to 'every Cincinnati voter who cast a ballot' for him to advance to November's election. 'The greatest gift local government can offer its residents is a choice,' he said. 'That's exactly what voters will have this November. There's much work ahead, and we're ready to show our great city that we're the best candidate for the job.' The general election is on November 4. The Associated Press contributed to this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
