Elijah John Bowdre: A trilingual tech bro who wants to be Miami mayor

Part of a series of profiles about the Miami mayoral candidates
If there’s one candidate in Miami’s crowded mayoral race who can say “ni hao” with authority, it’s Elijah John Bowdre — a trilingual tech entrepreneur, global traveler, and local advocate who wants to turn Miami into a high-efficiency, low-cost, tech-driven paradise.
He’s just super short on the details.
Bowdre, who lives in Edgewater, is one of the 13 people running for mayor of Miami on Nov. 4. A Florida A&M University graduate with a study-abroad certification from Shanghai University, he says he spent nearly eight years living in China, where he says he helped attract a $500 million investment from Hong Kong into downtown Miami.
He could not provide details. Twice when Ladra called him he sounded like he was on a movie set, so much conversation in the background, and he would said he would call me back. He never did.
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But Bowdre has no Chinese investors — or any investors, really, in his mayoral bid. His latest campaign finance report shows he has loaned himself $1,650 and got another $250 from a friend in Conyers, Georgia.
The lack of money doesn’t seem to hurt his swagger. Bowdre, who says he speaks Spanish and Mandarin also, has a LinkedIn-style pitch that reads like a cross between Silicon Valley and the United Nations — global vision, local roots, and a digital twist.
Bowdre is running for mayor because too many Miamians are working “two or three jobs and sleeping in their cars,” he told WPLG Local 10. His solution? Harness what he calls “the money power in tech.” He wants to use technology to deliver subsidies, rebates, stipends, and bonuses to residents — what sounds like a high-tech redistribution of city resources, built on “enterprise efficiency and accountability for the public benefit.”
That’s a tall order for any mayor, but Bowdre likes to talk big. Again, without details. On numerous occasions, he dodged the questions. He told the anchors that, like most people, they just don’t understand the big picture, but he does and we should just trust him. Riiiiiight. We’ve all heard that before.
Bowdre chairs the Miami-Dade County Cryptocurrency Task Force, where he’s been at the front lines of local discussions about how digital currency could fit into county government. He said he worked with then city commissioner and Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon as liaison to the Overtown Community Oversight Board, working on development oversight for the Southeastern Overtown/Park West CRA — yes, the same zone wrapped around the Miami Worldcenter megaproject.
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He calls himself a “bridge builder,” an educator, and “a strong international global leader.”
Maybe en su propia casa.
Ladra loves a visionary, but Bowdre seems more like he’s practicing a TED Talk in front of a bathroom mirror than a man with a plan. Subsidies through tech? Rebates by blockchain? Bonuses for residents? It’s the kind of thing that sounds fantastic in a pitch deck — but voters might want to know how it works in real life, especially in a city where potholes, police overtime, and rent control eat up most of the agenda.
Bowdre, who obviously likes to dress to impress, desperately wants to be taken seriously. He wants to be seen as part of that new generation of Miamians who see opportunity in innovation — not just in construction cranes and campaign contributions. He says he wants accountability, efficiency, and what he calls “enterprise solutions” for public good.
But what we want are details. And he’s always short on those.
Elijah John Bowdre may be the only candidate in the race who can talk cryptocurrency, city zoning, and Chinese investment in one breath — and somehow make it sound real. But is it just another crypto-fueled Miami illusion?
Bowdre is another one of those candidates who isn’t going to make double digits in the race — Ladra expects June Savage to do better — but his campaign might remind voters that Miami’s future could be written in more than just cement and scandal. It could be coded, too.

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