Breaking News: David Bowers and Councilmember Stephanie Moon both informed the Roanoke Rambler that they plan to run as independents in Roanoke’s hotly contested city council race, a move that instantly reshapes the field and turns what had been a largely partisan contest into a test of name recognition, local networks and cross‑party appeal.

Roanoke, VA

Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff

Published: 7:01 AM EST May 13, 2026

Edited: 7:30 AM EST May 13, 2026

With Bowers, the two‑time former mayor whose long record in Roanoke politics includes terms in the 1990s and the 2010s, and Moon-Reynolds, a former city council member known for running outside the major parties, the contest now poses an unusual choice for voters used to clear Democratic and Republican slates. Both entries are likely to redraw campaign calculations ahead of the August primary and November general elections, amplifying questions about vote splitting, turnout and coalition building across neighborhoods. Bowers lost to current Roanoke City Mayor Joe Cobb for Mayor in the 2024 election by only 29 votes after a re-count.

The crowded field sets up a contested Democratic primary and an unpredictable general election. Both new independent candidates are poised to be top four leaders' early voting polls.

Who plans to run so far:

• Republican
  • Amanda Marko, small business owner and chairwoman of the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission.
• Democrats (five total)
  • Peter Volosin, incumbent council member who announced his reelection bid last year.
  • Vivian Sanchez‑Jones, incumbent council member.
  • Danny Clawson, director at the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition.
  • Harvey Brookins, banker and vice president with decades in finance and civic boards.
  • Raekwon Moore, mental‑health professional and community volunteer.
• Independents
  • David Bowers, two‑time former mayor, filed today as an independent.
  • Stephanie Moon-Reynolds, former councilmember, also filed as an independent.
  • Kathy Cohen, Temple Emanuel’s Rabbi Emerita, announced earlier this year.

(Count note: the list above reflects nine applicants who have filed or publicly announced as of this report — one Republican, five Democrats and three independents — matching the city’s public filings and exclusive reports to the Roanoke Rambler.)

Brief bios and campaign focus:

• David Bowers: A familiar political figure with long experience as mayor, Bowers emphasizes economic development, public safety and fiscal stewardship and brings substantial name recognition to the independent lane. David A. Bowers is a lifelong Roanoke resident and seasoned municipal leader whose career spans law, public service and long‑term civic engagement. Born in Cortland, New York, Bowers moved with his family to Roanoke as a child and grew up in the Raleigh Court neighborhood; a proud product of Roanoke City Schools and Patrick Henry High School, he later studied at Belmont Abbey College, earned a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans and a master’s in liberal arts from Hollins University. After returning to Roanoke to begin his legal career, Bowers built a reputation as a hands‑on local leader committed to neighborhood life and practical problem‑solving. Bowers’ political career began with an eight‑year tenure on Roanoke City Council starting in 1984 and two separate stretches as mayor, from 1992 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. During his time in office he championed high‑profile development and infrastructure projects that reshaped downtown and regional connectivity: he led efforts to reopen and rehabilitate the historic Hotel Roanoke, helped bring back Amtrak passenger rail service to the city, supported the creation of the Elmwood Park amphitheater and backed expansions that promoted retail and economic activity in the Valley View corridor. Those achievements reflect his focus on economic development, public safety and the built environment.
• Stephanie Moon-Reynolds: A former council member, with a reputation for independent decision‑making, Moon-Reynolds frames her bid as neighborhood‑focused and pragmatic governance beyond party labels. Stephanie Moon-Reynolds is a Roanoke public servant with a reputation for independent decision‑making, neighborhood-first problem solving and steady administrative competence. A longtime Roanoke resident, Moon-Reynolds built her career in local government and community service, including a notable stint as Clerk for Roanoke City, where she managed municipal records, coordinated council business and helped streamline administrative processes that support transparent local governance. She held every position in the City Clerk’s office during her 40-plus years in that department. Her experience in that role gave her a deep working knowledge of city procedures, parliamentary rules and the day‑to‑day mechanics of city government skills she points to as crucial when translating policy ideas into workable, enforceable actions. Moon-Reynolds first entered elected office with a focus on pragmatic governance: she emphasizes responsive constituent service, measured fiscal stewardship and policies that prioritize neighborhood safety, housing stability and equitable access to city services. Moon-Reynolds also emphasizes government efficiency — from clearer permitting and code enforcement to improved constituent communication — based on her administrative background and hands‑on experience with municipal operations.
• Amanda Marko: A first‑time candidate with a background in Capitol Hill press work and marketing, Marko positions herself as a consensus builder focused on economic vitality and fiscal clarity; she has been endorsed publicly by longtime local leader Evelyn Powers.
• Harvey Brookins: A 30‑year banking veteran and civic volunteer, Brookins is running on a pro‑business, pro‑infrastructure platform aimed at leveraging private‑sector experience for city projects.
• Danny Clawson: Running to champion economically insecure residents, Clawson highlights harm‑reduction, housing and compassionate services and brings activist energy born of public protests and organizing.
• Kathy Cohen: An independent voice and community elder, Cohen entered the race earlier this year focusing on civic stewardship and education funding.
• Raekwon Moore: The Roanoke native emphasizes schools, parks and transportation, citing recent budget decisions that reduced school funding as a motivator for his candidacy.
• Vivian Sanchez‑Jones: The appointed‑then‑elected incumbent points to work on budgets and pandemic relief distribution and emphasizes neighborhood responsiveness and practical problem‑solving. A first‑generation Latina leader in Roanoke government, Sanchez‑Jones began her professional life supporting students as a student‑support specialist for English language learners in Roanoke City Public Schools and later worked as a school and community liaison with Commonwealth Catholic Charities, where she helped families navigate education and social‑service systems. She is the president of Avancemos Roanoke, and has served on multiple community boards and advisory bodies focused on youth services and equitable opportunity.
• Peter Volosin: An incumbent seeking reelection, Peter Volosin is an incumbent Roanoke council member whose career blends urban planning expertise, regional economic work and private‑sector real estate experience. A graduate of Brown University with a double major in Urban Studies and Biology, Volosin went on to earn an M.P.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University and completed the Political Leaders Program at the Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Early in his career he worked as an urban planning consultant for the World Bank, advising on planning projects and development strategies, and later served as executive director of WinVirginia. He is a member of the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority, a board member for Local Colors of Western Virginia, and has previously chaired the Roanoke Fair Housing Board and served as the city’s citizen representative to the Roanoke Valley‑Alleghany Regional Commission.

Why the field matters (electoral math)

• Democratic primary: With five Democrats seeking three party nominations, the primary will be competitive; a split Democratic field could yield narrow pluralities and drive heavy emphasis on turnout and base consolidation.
• Independent effect: Independents like Bowers and Moon change the general election calculus, in a crowded race, a well‑known independent who draws moderates and unaffiliated voters can capture a seat even without a majority, especially if the opposing party’s vote remains fractured. Former Mayor Bowers has represented both the Democratic and Republican parties in past elections.
• Republican outlook: With only one Republican filing so far, the GOP path is narrow unless Republicans can consolidate support and attract cross‑party voters. The general election will hinge on precinct turnout, early‑voting patterns and which campaigns succeed at mobilizing neighborhood networks.

David Bowers

Bowers’ decades in Roanoke politics give him an unmatched baseline of recognition, and his recent narrow mayoral bids demonstrated he can still mobilize a substantial voter base. Local coverage has charted his close finishes and contested counts in recent cycles, signaling competitiveness. The Roanoke Rambler staff spoke with former Mayor Bowers and asked some key questions. When asked why he is running, he described:

"I was the mayor for 16 years, and I want to make sure the city is going in the right direction."

"There are three key issues I want to address: Rezoning, which I ran for mayor on- repealing the new rezoning law and reinstating the old law if I had been elected, I would have done this January of last year, but the council still has not done anything on it - I want to tackle this issue because I think the public wants it done and have the old law reinstated."

When asked to provide more context about rezoning by the Rambler, Former Mayor Bowers says that the current law allows for rezoning your property without giving notice to the neighbors, and that he corrected this in the past, but the new law allows for apartment buildings to be built near residential houses without consent. "Old southwest was getting chopped up into apartments" and "in the 80s when I was a council member, we installed a historic district to preserve single family homes." My intention is to have notice to the neighbors given, and they have a right to be heard, and they have right to preserve the single-family home and character of the neighborhood."

Next, Bowers explained, "We had a good relationship with the school board for about ten years going back to my third term as mayor" and "there has been a lot of friction in the last year and there has been problems with the budget, and I understand administrators in one building do not talk to administrators in the other building - I want to help solve the problem with the city and school relationship"

"Thirdly, I want to emphasize something we did a whole lot of when I was mayor and that is economic development. When I was mayor, we re-opened the Hotel Roanoke, we brought industry into town, I was working on the early stages of the River Side Medical Complex leading up to the Virginia Tech Law School."

When asked why he is running as an independent, Former Mayor Bowers, said Tip O'Neil (the Massachusetts Democrat who served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987) used to say "all politics is local" but Bowers told the Rambler, that "no, not anymore, now politics is national. When I was running two years ago, people used to ask me, are you for Trump or against Trump? and I used to say I will answer your question, but I am running for the Mayor of Roanoke, and I want to talk about Roanoke issues. So I ended up running as an independent and I am a moderate. I get votes from both sides. As an independent I can focus on things that are of interest to me, which is Roanoke and Roanoke issues."

Stephanie Moon-Reynolds

Moon-Reynolds arrives in the race as a former council member with a reputation for voting independently and building neighborhood relationships. That record helps her argue she is a pragmatic problem‑solver rather than a partisan actor, which could be attractive to voters fatigued by national polarization. With a former voting record, Moon-Reynolds demonstrates how her council work translates into citywide support beyond her existing base.

A voter in her base urges voters to vote for Moon-Reynolds citing her decades of work as City Clerk "keeping Roanoke afloat" to the Rambler, going on to say, "she knows everything about this city."

Early preliminary opinion surveys suggest David Bowers and Moon-Reynolds will be strong candidates and likely finish with a substantial percentage of the vote. Join our poll here.

Bowers and Moon-Reynolds will be seeking petitions to be able to file by the mid-June deadline.

Timeline and next steps for voters

• Party filing deadline: Party candidates filing window has closed.
• Independent filing deadline: Independents may still register through the city’s independent filing window tentatively May 26th (check the city registrar for exact deadline).
• Primary date: The statewide redistricting and legislative actions have shifted primary timing; consult Roanoke’s 2026 election calendar for the latest primary date (the city registrar has confirmed an adjusted primary schedule). - August 4th is a new tentative date.
• General election: Nov. 3, 2026.