JD Vance’s Half-Brother Loses Ohio Election in Landslide with Vice President’s Endorsement

Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother, Republican Cory Bowman, was decisively defeated on Tuesday, Nov. 4, in his bid to become Cincinnati’s mayor.

Democrat Aftab Pureval secured reelection with over 78% of the vote, while Bowman received 22%, according to unofficial results from the Hamilton County Board of Elections.

Pureval, who first won the office in November 2021 as Cincinnati’s first Asian American mayor, previously worked as an attorney before entering local politics.

Although JD Vance was not publicly involved in his half-brother’s campaign, he did voice support earlier in the year. “He’s a good guy with a heart for serving his community,” Vance wrote on X in May. “Get out there and vote for him!”

Voting records show Vance, registered in Cincinnati, did not cast a ballot in the primary but did vote absentee in the 2025 general election — despite former President Donald Trump’s push to end mail-in voting.

Crime became a key issue in the race after several high-profile violent incidents during the summer. At an October debate, Bowman accused Pureval of being soft on crime and claimed City Hall policies had limited police effectiveness.

Pureval disputed those assertions, pointing to measures his administration had taken to address public safety, such as enforcing curfews and investing in police recruitment efforts.

He also sought to associate Bowman with Trump, calling him and his backers “MAGA extremists” in a city that has favored Democrats in recent national elections.

Pureval previously outperformed Bowman in the May primary, earning more than 80% of the vote.