“Our City Council has failed us,” said David Bowers, the former Roanoke City Mayor, in a press conference. Bowers is running for Roanoke City Mayor as a Republican. He served as Roanoke’s Mayor 3 times, 1992-2000 and 2012-2016 as Democrat, and 2008-2012 as an Independent.
Bowers moved from New York to Roanoke when he was a child and studied in Roanoke City Public Schools. After he graduated from Patrick Henry High School he pursued his education at Belmont Abbey College. And later, earned his law degree from Loyola University, New Orleans. Bowers returned to Roanoke and started his legal career. He also earned a Master’s degree in Liberal Arts from Hollins University.
Before he was elected to the Mayor’s chair, in 1984, Bowers served as a Roanoke City Council member for 8 years. Bowers has emphasized his hard work and good record as a Mayor in the past, and said he will continue to do so if he is elected.
Bowers Spoke clearly about the high crime rate in Roanoke City as he promised to put this issue as his priority. The current Roanoke City Mayor Sherman Lea and the members of the City Council have not been able present a solution to reduce the crime rate. Apparently, gangs are a major issue in Roanoke, and Bowers has emphasized the importance of focusing on this matter as Roanoke City has been losing population because of high crimes and shootings.
Despite being separated from the Municipal building and being out of the office for some years, Bowers says he has not been separated from the people of Roanoke. He mentioned that a teenager from the Northwest neighborhood told him that she is afraid to walk her dog because of gangs.
Bowers did not hesitate to point at the incumbents for being responsible for the high volume of crimes in Roanoke, which according to police reports occur on a daily basis. Bowers also based his claim based on data and crime rate websites. He specifically held up a copy of The Roanoke Times which had a report about the homicide rate in Roanoke City in 2023.
Bowers also emphasized the importance of supporting Roanoke City Police as he said that he will make sure the police Department will be “fully funded and fully staffed.”
Bowers also revealed his real estate tax plan to lower taxes to help middle class home owners in Roanoke. He also explained that raising the real estate tax has forced rental property owners to raise the rents on renters.
It will clearly be challenging for Bowers to run for Mayor in a City with a large majority of Democrat voters. In response to a question whether he has support from local organizations and people, he confidently responded that he has received support from many people in the City on all side of the political spectrum.
Bowers has already begun his campaigning, and has already started a door to door canvas in city neighborhoods. Bowers is running against two current City Council members, Joe Cobb – a Democrat, and Stephanie Moon Reynolds who is running as an Independent.
It will be important for Bowers’ to earn both the support of the Republican voters in the as well as long time Democrat supporters to win his return to the Mayor’s chair.
– Serwan Zangana supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as a U.S Army translator before coming to the U.S from Kurdistan, Iraq in 1997 to seek political asylum. He was granted asylum status and years later proudly became a U.S citizen. He currently serves as a correction officer in Roanoke.