David Mann | |
|---|---|
 Mann at anFC Cincinnati event in 2018 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie Luken |
| Succeeded by | Steve Chabot |
| 60th and 64thMayor of Cincinnati | |
| In office January 3, 1991 – November 30, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Charlie Luken |
| Succeeded by | Dwight Tillery |
| In office December 1, 1980 – November 30, 1982 | |
| Preceded by | Ken Blackwell |
| Succeeded by | Thomas B. Brush |
| Vice Mayor of Cincinnati | |
| In office 2013–2018 | |
| Mayor | John Cranley |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Smitherman |
| Member of theCincinnati City Council | |
| In office 2013–2022 | |
| In office 1974–1992 | |
| Preceded by | Jerry Springer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Scott Mann (1939-09-25)September 25, 1939 (age 86) Park Hills,Kentucky, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Betsy Mann |
| Education | Harvard University (BA,LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1961–1965 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
David Scott Mann (born September 25, 1939) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of theDemocratic Party, he served as theUnited States representative forOhio's 1st congressional district from 1993 to 1995. He also served as a member of theCincinnati City Council from 2013 to 2022 and from 1974 to 1992, during which time he served asmayor of Cincinnati from 1980 to 1982 and again in 1991. Mann ran in the2021 Cincinnati mayoral election, but lost to Hamilton County Clerk of CourtsAftab Pureval.
At the time of his birth, Mann's parents resided inPark Hills, aNorthern Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati. During his father's service in theUnited States Navy inWorld War II, Mann lived with his mother in her hometown ofHorse Cave, Kentucky before moving to his father's assignment ofthe Bronx. His family later settled in Cincinnati.[1]
Mann completed hissecondary education atDixie Heights High School[2] before attendingHarvard University on aNavy ROTC scholarship, graduatingcum laude in 1961 with a degree inbiochemical science. After graduating, Mann served in the Navy from 1961 to 1965. As alieutenant, Mann served aboard thedestroyerUSSEnglish during theCuban Missile Crisis.[3][4] Mann was a supporter of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy; Mann creditsKennedy's assassination with convincing him to attendlaw school instead ofmedical school so that he could better engage inpublic service.[5] After his time in the navy, Mann attendedHarvard Law School and was awarded aBachelor of Laws degreemagna cum laude in 1968. He was an editor of theHarvard Law Review.[3][4] Mann returned to theCincinnati metropolitan area after graduation so that he would be closer to family.[6]
Mann became involved in politics, erectingyard signs forJack Gilligan's unsuccessful1968 Senate campaign. He originally intended to help write Gilligan's policy proposals, but the campaign did not accept his request.[1] He later contributed toTom Luken's campaign for a seat on theCincinnati City Council.[6]
Mann was a member of Cincinnati's board of health from 1972 to 1974.[7] Tom Luken encouraged him to run for a seat on the City Council, but Mann's first attempt in 1973 was unsuccessful.[1] The following year, the localDemocratic Party appointed Mann to replaceJerry Springer on the Council after Springer resigned due to a prostitution scandal.[1][6]
While on the council, Mann helped implement aconsent decree for theCincinnati Police Department that placed racial and gender quotas on new hires, which was ruled unconstitutional in 2021.[1][8] Heendorsed former vice presidentWalter Mondale'scandidacy in the1984 Democratic presidential primaries.[9] Following a 1989 shooting inLouisville, Mann successfully proposed a ban on mostsemi-automatic firearms within Cincinnati.[10]
Mann served asmayor of Cincinnati twice during his time on the Council.[11] At the time, the office of mayor was not directly elected and was largely ceremonial.[12][13] His first mayoralty was from December 1980 to November 1982, and his second was from January to November 1991.[11] For his first term, Mann was chosen by fellow Council members to serve as mayor. Prior to his second term, the procedure was changed so that the candidate who won the most votes became mayor.Charlie Luken was the top vote-getter ahead of Mann's second mayoralty, but the Council appointed Mann again after Luken resigned to serve inCongress.[1] Mann left the Council in 1992.[11]
Ahead of the1992 House of Representatives elections, incumbent representative Charlie Luken ofOhio's 1st congressional district announced that he would not seek re-election after already winning the June Democratic primary. Mann was term-limited in the City Council and was considering a campaign for a judicial position, but instead decided to run for the congressional seat, stating that his name recognition would help propel him to victory. Mann won the three-week special primary to become the Democratic nominee, narrowly defeatingState SenatorWilliam Bowen. Mann won 51% of the vote in the general election, defeating bothRepublican-backedindependent Stephen Grote andLibertarian-affiliated independent Jim Berns.[14][15][16][17]
Mann began serving in the103rd United States Congress in 1993. While in the House, he sponsored five bills and served on theHouse Armed Services andHouse Judiciary Committees.[18] Mann voted against PresidentBill Clinton'sstimulus package andbudget proposal and was skeptical towards Clinton'shealth care plan. Mann also called for further investigation into theWhitewater controversy. His opposition to much of Clinton's agenda led an article inThe Washington Post to state that he "often behaves more like a Republican than a Democrat". Mann supported some Clinton-backed initiatives, such as theBrady Bill, which established awaiting period of five days for handgun purchases.[19] Mann voted in favor of theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which damaged his reputation with some of his allies inorganized labor.[6] Mann voted for the1994 Crime Bill, which he later said he regretted.[20] After learning that one of his sons was gay, he voted in favor ofBarney Frank's failed 1994 bill to prohibitanti-LGBT discrimination.[21]
With Mann facing labor backlash for his support of NAFTA, Bowen challenged him for the Democratic nomination in the1994 election. Despite statements by unions that they would support primary candidates running against pro-NAFTA Democrats,NPR referred to Bowen as the only "serious" labor-backed primary challenger in the country. The Clinton administration supported Mann in the primary, with Vice PresidentAl Gore attending two fundraisers that collectively grossed over $100,000 for Mann's campaign. The sum from Gore's fundraisers roughly matched the donations that Bowen stated he would receive from unions.[22] In a debate against Bowen, Mann expressed his alignment with theNew Democrats and refused to support increased taxes or spending, stating that Bowen wanted to "tax more and spend more".[23] Mann won renomination by 667 votes, which an article inThe Christian Science Monitor attributed to his successful television advertising.[24] Unions were divided on Mann's general election campaign; some, such as theOhio Education Association, endorsed him, while others, such as the CincinnatiAFL–CIO Labor Council, refused to do so.[25] Mann ultimately lost his bid for re-election to RepublicanSteve Chabot in the "Republican Revolution".[1] Mann left office in 1995.[7]
After losing his bid for congressional re-election, Mann ran for a position on theOhio First District Court of Appeals in 1996, but lost to incumbent Lee Hildebrandt Jr.[26][27] He would not return as a candidate for office until 2013.[28]
In 2013, Mann returned to office after winning election to a seat on the city council.[28] He was simultaneously endorsed by the Democratic Party and theCharter Committee.[29] Mann was appointedvice mayor by MayorJohn Cranley in 2013, a position which he would hold until 2018.[30][31] Mann opposed theCincinnati streetcar and voted to halt its construction on his fourth day in office, but work on the project eventually proceeded.[32] Mann often served as a mediator between Cranley and Cranley's opponents on the Council, helping broker deals on a number of issues. In 2015, Mann reached a compromise with Cranley on a budget dispute, preventing agovernment shutdown.[28]
Mann was re-elected in 2017.[33] In 2018, Mann became the chair of the Council's Budget and Finance Committee, which is responsible for the city's finances.[34] That same year, Mann proposed levying anexcise tax onshort-term rentals, with the proceeds going to the city'saffordable housing fund. Mann stated that the tax would "strike a balance between preserving and funding affordable housing units and community in neighborhoods, encouraging tourism and entrepreneurship through short-term rentals, and ensuring that all visitors to Cincinnati are staying in units that are safe and up to code".[35] The proposal was implemented in 2019.[36] In 2020, Mann voted with the majority of the Council to remove the fare from the streetcar.[37]
In May 2020, Mann announced that he would run for mayor of Cincinnati in the 2021 election. In a letter to potential donors, Mann stated that he had no ambitions for higher office beyond city politics and that his "experience and leadership qualities" could help address the effects of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[11] In May 2021, Mann won 29% of the vote in thenonpartisan mayoral primary, placing second and advancing to the general election. Following the primary, Mann stated that general election opponentAftab Pureval lacked the experience to serve as mayor, referring to Pureval's position of Hamilton County Clerk of Courts as "small".[38] By October 21, Mann had raised $388,307, trailing Pureval's $961,810. Mann lost the November general election with 34% of the vote to Pureval's 66%.[39][40]
Mann joined theOhio State Bar Association in 1968. From 1995 to 2001, he taught at theUniversity of Cincinnati College of Law.[4] In 1997, Mann and his son Michael founded their own law firm, Mann & Mann. The firm primarily handlestax law andemployment discrimination cases.[1][6]
Mann has served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations, including theMake-A-Wish Foundation and theFreestore Foodbank.[4]
Mann lives in theClifton neighborhood of Cincinnati with his wife Betsy, whom he married in 1963.[1] They have three children. Mann is aMethodist.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Mann | 120,190 | 51.3 | |
| Independent[a] | Stephen Grote | 101,498 | 43.3 | |
| Independent | Jim Berns | 12,734 | 5.4 | |
| Total votes | 234,433[b] | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Chabot | 92,997 | 56 | |
| Democratic | David Mann (incumbent) | 72,822 | 44 | |
| Total votes | 165,819 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan[c] | Aftab Pureval | 34,541 | 65.84 | |
| Nonpartisan[c] | David Mann | 17,919 | 34.16 | |
| Total votes | 52,460 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
We asked the Dixie Heights High School and Harvard Law School graduate to throw back his memory to a New Year's Eve long ago.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Cincinnati 1980–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Mayor of Cincinnati 1991–1992 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's 1st congressional district 1993–1995 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former US Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
Members of theCincinnati City Council | ||
|---|---|---|
Vice Mayor: Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney; President Pro-Tem: Victoria Park | ||
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