David A. Bowers

David Allen Bowers (born May 11, 1952) is a politician who served as mayor of Roanoke, Virginia for a first term from 1992 to 2000 and then for a second term from 2008 to 2016.

David A. Bowers
42nd & 45th Mayor of Roanoke, Virginia
In office July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2016
Preceded by	Nelson Harris
Succeeded by	Sherman Lea, Sr.
In office July 1, 1992 – June 30, 2000
Preceded by	Noel C. Taylor
Succeeded by	Ralph K. Smith
Personal details
Born	David Allen Bowers May 11, 1952 Cortland, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Independent (2008, 2020)
Spouse(s)	Margarita Cubas ​ (m. 2013)​ [1]
Residence	Roanoke, Virginia
Alma mater	Belmont Abbey College (B.A.) Loyola University (J.D.) Hollins University (M.A.)
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Biography

He previously served as mayor of the city from 1992 to 2000. A Democrat, he was elected mayor after serving on the city council. Bowers is a lawyer who has continued to serve in private practice both during and after his term as mayor.

He was also the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Virginia's 6th District congressional seat in 1998, losing to incumbent Republican Bob Goodlatte.[2]

Bowers attempted a comeback in the May 2, 2006, election for city council, but he finished in fifth place out of ten candidates in the race for three seats.[3][4] Bowers ran for mayor of Roanoke as an Independent against the incumbent, Democrat Nelson Harris, Independent George A. Sgouros, and Independent Anita Powell, in the May 2008 municipal election. Bowers won the election with 53% of the vote.[4] In May 2012 Bowers gained a consecutive term as mayor by defeating Republican Mark Lucas 52% percent to 48%.[5]

Bowers ran for mayor in 2020 against Democratic incumbent Sherman Lea, Sr. Though an independent, Bowers was endorsed by Roanoke Republican Party and appeared at a pro-police event that was also attended by Republican representative Ben Cline and Senate nominee Daniel Gade.[6][7] Bowers criticized Lea and the city council for being insufficiently supportive of the police and fire department as well as of Bower personally in reference to a speaker at a city council meeting that called Bower a white supremacist and received no pushback from council members. Bowers also called the city council and mayor unelected in reference to the fact that elections had been delayed six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] Bowers lost the election by six percentage points.

Controversy

In November 2015, Bowers spoke out against the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Roanoke,[9] citing as positive precedent the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, 2/3 of whom were American citizens, an event for which the American government formally apologized and provided reparations as part of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.[10] Bowers's comment prompted a social media backlash and calls for his resignation.[11]

References

1. Kaplan, David (December 24, 2013). "Roanoke's Mayor elopes". WDBJ. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
2. Election Results by Locality & Precinct - November 3, 1998 General Election - U.S. House Of Representatives Archived January 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Commonwealth Of Virginia - State Board Of Elections.
3. Commonwealth of Virginia: May 2nd, 2006 - Local Election Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, www.Virginiainteractive.org.
4. Adams, Mason (December 7, 2011). "David Bowers announces he'll run again for Roanoke mayor". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
5. Adams, Mason (May 2, 2012). "Bowers edges out Lucas to keep Roanoke mayorship; council incumbents re-elected". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
6. Nave, Charlie (25 September 2020). "Official Roanoke City GOP Sample Ballot". Roanoke City Republican Committee. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
7. Berrier, Ralph (5 September 2020). "Sherman Lea, David Bowers campaigning for mayor in the time of COVID-19". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
8. Berrier, Ralph (1 July 2020). "Ex-mayor David Bowers launches video criticism as Roanoke mayoral race heats up". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
9. Chittum, Matt (November 18, 2015). "Roanoke Mayor David Bowers: No Syrian refugees to Roanoke Valley until security assured". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
10. Weiner, Rachel (18 November 2015). "Roanoke Mayor David Bowers: Reject refugees like U.S. interned Japanese". The Washington Post.
11. "Mayor David Bowers responds to calls for his resignation". The Roanoke Times.