Libertarian Richard Bowen Announces Bid For Cherry Hill Council

CHERRY HILL, NJ - Richard G. Bowen, Jr. will run as a Libertarian candidate for one of three open Cherry Hill Council seats in November. Bowen announced his candidacy after receiving the party’s support at its state convention in Hightstown.

Bowen shares in his party’s message when he advocates for “a limited, more efficient, more transparent and more accountable local government.”

He is the treasurer for the state Libertarian Party’s Board, a member of the Libertarian National Committee’s (Alexandria, VA) Audit Sub Committee. He said he is considered by many in the Libertarian Party as one of the most knowledgeable sources of state and national campaign finance regulations.

"Local Democrats and Republicans are more beholden to their county and state political apparatus than to the residents of Cherry Hill,” Bowen said. “I will be beholden to no one but the residents of Cherry Hill. I will act accordingly as a check and balance to what I call the ‘lock step rubber stamping’ that currently pervades this Council."

Bowen, 59, grew up in the Erlton section of the township, where he lives today. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in 1977 and has a B.A. in Accounting (1981) and an M.B.A. in Business Administration (1988), both from Rutgers University – Camden. He is currently a sole proprietor Certified Public Accountant and specializes in partnership tax preparation.

Bowen assisted members of the ad hoc civic group Cherry Hill United to successfully oppose a school bond issue that went before voters in December. Read more here: $210 Million Cherry Hill Bond Referendum Fails

In addition, he was asked to attend a meeting in the Mayor’s office to represent Erlton residents in a parking dispute with Tesla, who had just moved into a property on Route 70 adjacent to the neighborhood.

In the world of state and federal politics, Bowen was the Camden County Coordinator for Gary Johnson’s 2016 presidential election, Treasurer for Pete Rohrman’s run for Governor in 2017, and served as Dr. Murray Sabrin’s Treasurer and Deputy Campaign Manager in his election for US Senate last year.

Rohrman and Sabrin have endorsed Bowen’s candidacy and are both members of his campaign’s Advisory Council.

The campaign "Bowen For Cherry Hill Township Council" filed its Candidate Committee reports with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission on February 20, 2019. As a third party candidate, the next step required to appear on the November ballot is to submit a nominating petition with at least 100 signatures to Camden County by June 4, 2019.

Two more candidates in the races for office in Cherry Hill should emerge on Tuesday, as the Cherry Hill Democrats will meet to select a candidate for mayor and a candidate for council, New Jersey Globe reports. Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn will not run for re-election. Councilwoman Melinda Hopkins Kane is expected to leave Cherry Hill Council to become a member of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Council Vice President Sara Lipsett and Councilman Brian Bauerle are also up for re-election in the Nov. 5 municipal elections. The deadline to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries is Monday, April 1.

For more information on Bowen’s campaign, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BowenForCherryHill/.