This story has been updated with Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval’s comments.
Cincinnati mayoral candidate Cory Bowman, the half brother of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, is calling for the removal of Cincinnati’s city manager in response to the viral video fight over the weekend.
In a press release, Bowman called for “the immediate resignation or removal of City Manager Sheryl Long.”
“Over nearly three years, the city manager has failed time and time again to meet the demands of this pivotal role,” Bowman said in the release.
The Enquirer is seeking a response from the city manager’s and mayor’s offices about Bowman’s statement.
Pureval July 28 issued a statement denouncing the “horrifying” incident at the corner of Fourth and Elm streets during the evening of Friday, July 25 and saying that arrests were “forthcoming.”
Bowman lists what he calls Long’s ‘shortcomings’
Bowman listed what he called the city manager’s “shortcomings” since Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval appointed her Sept. 1, 2022. They include:
City officials offering ’empty statement’ on weekend crime
Commenting on the fight, Bowman said “our city and nation witnessed horrific videos and images of violence on the streets of Cincinnati.”
He said the images sparked “shock and disbelief” and serve as a reminder of the “ongoing crime and lawlessness we’ve had to endure this summer.”
In response, Bowman said, elected officials have remained silent or “offered empty statements.”
Bowman, a Republican, won about 13% of the vote in the May 6 primary. Pureval, a Democrat, won more than 82% of the vote. With just the top two finishers advancing, third-place finisher Brian Frank, a Republican, was eliminated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: In wake of viral fight, mayoral candidate Bowman calls for city manager removal
Reporting by Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
