John Cowen Jr. is the mayor of Brownsville, Texas, elected in May 2023 and serving a term that runs through May 2027.1City of Brownsville. John Cowen Jr. Directory Listing A sixth-generation Brownsvillian and licensed U.S. customs broker, he won a four-candidate race with more than 56 percent of the vote and was sworn in on May 16, 2023.2KRGV. Unofficial Voting Results Show Brownsville Residents Elect John Cowen as City Mayor His time in office has centered on an aggressive economic development push built around the Port of Brownsville, the SpaceX Starbase facility nearby, and a wave of capital projects, alongside public disagreements with federal immigration enforcement in his border city.
Who He Is
Cowen graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a finance degree and worked as a senior consultant at Deloitte in Chicago and New York, advising on global customs and tax matters, before returning home in 2007 to run the family business.3City of Brownsville. Mayor Cowen Group, Ltd. handles customs brokerage, warehousing, distribution, and commercial real estate.4Cowen for Mayor. About John Cowen
His civic résumé is long. He chaired the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation and the city’s Audit and Oversight Committee, served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’s Emerging Leaders Council, and was a director for IBC Bank Brownsville and the Texas Business Leadership Council.4Cowen for Mayor. About John Cowen He won an at-large seat on the Brownsville City Commission in 2019 and served one term before running for mayor.3City of Brownsville. Mayor Two of his ancestors, William Neale and John S. Ford, served as Brownsville mayors in the mid-1800s.
The 2023 Election
Cowen entered the race after incumbent Trey Mendez announced he would not seek reelection. In a four-way contest, Cowen took 4,961 votes, or 56.39 percent, avoiding a runoff against City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau, Erasmo Castro, and Jennifer Stanton. He campaigned on restoring public trust in the Brownsville Public Utilities Board after an audit controversy, developing a 729-acre industrial park, and lowering utility bills.5MyRGV. Cowen Wins Brownsville Mayoral Race
Economic Development Agenda
Growth has been the signature theme of Cowen’s administration. In his March 2026 State of the City address, themed “Prosperity and Purpose,” he reported that Brownsville had reached $80 billion in cumulative economic impact and $30 billion in capital investment, with SpaceX, the Port of Brownsville, the America First Refinery, and several liquefied natural gas developments driving activity.6City of Brownsville. State of the City Address
Saronic Technologies Shipyard
The largest deal in play is Port Alpha, a $3.2 billion autonomous-vessel shipyard proposed by Austin-based Saronic Technologies on 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville. The yard would build autonomous ships for the U.S. Navy and commercial customers.7RGV Business Journal. Cameron County Saronic Shipyard Incentives Cowen has called it “one of the largest economic opportunities in our city’s history,” projecting up to 10,000 direct jobs averaging around $90,000 in salary and another 9,500 indirect jobs.8Rio Grande Guardian. Cowen: Port of Brownsville Contributing an Astounding $119 Billion to Texas GDP Cameron County has been negotiating a 95 percent property tax abatement over 19 years, estimated at more than $100 million, conditioned on Saronic beginning construction by June 2027 and investing at least $100 million in infrastructure.
Deepening the Ship Channel
A project more than 20 years in the making finished in June 2026. The Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project deepened the Port of Brownsville’s ship channel by 10 feet, taking the main channel from 42 to 52 feet and the entrance and jetty channels from 44 to 54 feet. Vessels can now carry between 70,000 and 80,000 metric tons, up from about 45,000.9City of Brownsville. Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project Phase 2 cost $139.5 million, with $68 million in federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds and $71.5 million from the port, delivered as one of four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public-Private Partnership pilot projects nationwide.10U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Galveston District Celebrates Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project
SpaceX and Starbase
SpaceX’s Starbase launch complex sits about 20 miles east of Brownsville at Boca Chica Beach. When Elon Musk announced in July 2024 that SpaceX would relocate its headquarters to Starbase, Cowen welcomed the move, calling tighter integration with the company “a longstanding goal” for the city. SpaceX has sought FAA approval to increase launches to 25 per year.11City of Brownsville. SpaceX Headquarters Relocation Starbase itself held a vote in May 2025 to incorporate as its own city, with SpaceX employees running unopposed for leadership, creating a neighboring municipality just outside Brownsville’s borders.12Texas Tribune. Texas SpaceX Starbase Election Candidates
Budget and Infrastructure
The City Commission unanimously adopted a $253 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2026 in September 2025, holding the property tax rate flat at $0.603 per $100 of assessed value.13City of Brownsville. Fiscal Year 2026 Budget It funds road reconstruction, park improvements, public safety facilities, and salaries for the city’s roughly 1,300 employees.14City of Brownsville. Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Details
Cowen has outlined a $215 million capital improvement plan covering drainage upgrades and smart traffic systems, plus a $30 million runway upgrade at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport.6City of Brownsville. State of the City Address Water security is a parallel priority. The Southmost Regional Water Authority plans to double its desalination plant from 10 million to 20 million gallons per day in a $213 million expansion aimed at completion by November 2030, and Cowen has been pursuing federal money from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to help pay for it.15Rio Grande Guardian. SRWA Plans to Expand Desalination Plant’s Production Capacity to 20 Million Gallons Per Day The city also launched its first housing master plan in June 2026 in response to population growth that Cowen has described as three new residents arriving for every one who leaves.16Valley Central. Brownsville’s Growth Spurt: Mayor Details Big Projects, Big Changes
Immigration Stance
As mayor of a city on the U.S.-Mexico border, Cowen has been pulled into national immigration debates, especially after a surge in ICE enforcement operations in early 2026. He described the federal crackdown, with agents entering restaurants, construction sites, hotels, and low-income neighborhoods, as “counterproductive” and said it “sends the wrong message.”17KRGV. It Sends the Wrong Message: Brownsville Expecting More ICE Agents in the City He pointed to construction projects stalling, labor shortages across the local economy, and children missing school because families feared contact with authorities.18City of Brownsville. Mayor Cowen Immigration Statement
He has drawn a careful line on the city’s own role. Brownsville police officers “do not work alongside ICE in executing immigration arrests on a day-to-day basis,” he has said, though the department will respond to aid requests when public safety is at stake. He has encouraged residents to follow the law and pursue legal pathways to citizenship while calling on Congress and the White House to advance comprehensive immigration reform and expand work authorizations.18City of Brownsville. Mayor Cowen Immigration Statement Cowen has openly disagreed with the Trump administration’s mass deportation approach, saying long-term residents who are working and contributing “add value to our economy.”19Rio Grande Guardian. Cowen: Every Immigrant That Comes to United States Adds Value to Our Economy
In January 2026, Cowen traveled to Washington, D.C., where he moderated a panel on immigration at the U.S. Conference of Mayors with mayors from Denver, Portland, and suburban Minneapolis, and met with White House officials. He acknowledged the meetings did not produce immediate solutions but said representing the border perspective to federal officials mattered.19Rio Grande Guardian. Cowen: Every Immigrant That Comes to United States Adds Value to Our Economy
Roles Beyond Brownsville
Cowen serves as vice chair of the Border Policy, Criminal, and Social Justice Standing Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, chairs the South Texas Alliance of Cities, and is vice chair of the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization.3City of Brownsville. Mayor He joined the National Mayors for Park Coalition in June 2026.20City of Brownsville. Mayor Cowen Joins National Mayors for Park Coalition
In 2025, he was selected for the ninth class of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a nine-month program for mayors and senior officials run through the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard with Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The class drew leaders from 45 cities across 16 countries, and interim city manager Alan Guard participated alongside him.21City of Brownsville. Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
City Hall Under Cowen
Brownsville operates under a home-rule charter with a seven-member City Commission that includes the mayor, two at-large commissioners, and four district commissioners, with day-to-day operations run by a city manager.22City of Brownsville. Brownsville City Commission City Manager Helen Ramirez stepped down in December 2025, and Deputy City Manager Alan Guard was appointed interim.23Valley Central. Brownsville City Commission Appoints New City Manager After a months-long search drew about 72 applicants and produced five public finalists without a commission consensus, Guard reconsidered and was formally appointed permanent city manager on June 16, 2026, on a two-year contract.24MyRGV. Brownsville Appoints Interim City Manager Alan Guard to Permanent Position Guard, who holds nearly four decades of municipal experience along with ICMA-Credentialed Manager and Certified Government Finance Officer designations, restructured the city manager’s office by promoting Police Chief Felix Sauceda Jr. and Assistant City Manager Doroteo Garcia Jr. to co-deputy city manager roles.25City of Brownsville. Alan Guard Appointed City Manager