Candidate for
Mayor; City of Cincinnati

Born and raised in Greater Cincinnati, David was elected to Cincinnati City Council in his first political race in November 2001. As a non-incumbent in that election, David finished first out of 26 candidates, a feat that has not been achieved since the 1960s. After another first place finish in November 2003, David is currently serving his second term on Cincinnati City Council.

David serves as the Chairman of Council's Law and Public Safety Committee, pushing forward new initiatives to help Council refocus on critical crime and safety issues. One of David's many accomplishments while on Council has been the establishment of the "Safe and Clean Neighborhood Fund." This fund utilizes neighborhood level problem solving by granting funds to neighborhood based groups for community initiated projects that improve neighborhood safety by eliminating crime hotspots and blight. David has also targeted and shut down some of the City's worst crackhouses, eliminated open-air dealing in critical corners in Over the Rhine through increased surveillance, and pushed for tougher laws and enforcement for "quality of life" crimes. David is also Chairman of the Rules Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Neighborhoods Committee.

David graduated from Cincinnati Country Day in 1989 and earned his B. A. magna cum laude from Yale University in 1993, where he was Phi Beta Kappa and served as Managing Editor of the Yale Daily News. From 1993 to 1996, David worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., as an aide to former National Security Adviser Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski and later in St. Petersburg, Russia, working with Russian and American business leaders to stimulate investment and economic growth in the City.

David earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1999, where he served as an Articles Editor on the Yale Law Journal and won several school-wide awards for his written work. After graduation, he clerked for Judge Nathaniel Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. David is also the published author of several law review articles on constitutional law, campaign finance reform, and jury nullification.

Beyond City Council, David renders service to his community in other ways. He serves as a mentor to a 13-year old in the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative. As a member of the board of the World Affairs Council, he helped establish the Young Professionals Program, which brings together young professionals in a forum to address international affairs and Cincinnati's involvement in global issues. David serves on the advisory board of Parents for Public Schools, a local public school advocacy group.

David is also an associate in the Cincinnati office of the law firm of Squire Sanders & Dempsey, where he concentrates his practice on appellate litigation.

David is a fifth-generation Cincinnatian, coming from a family with a long tradition of public service to the community. His parents, John and Francie Pepper, have contributed much to the city in the past several decades - both through John's career at Procter & Gamble, as well as their active work with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the YWCA, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, the United Way, and public education in general. They live in the city of Wyoming.

David's grandparents also gave much to this community. His grandfather, Dr. Stanley T. Garber, was an obstetrician who practiced for more than 50 years in Cincinnati. As chairman of the U.C. Department of Obstetrics, he oversaw the obstetric service at General Hospital/University Hospital; his private practice was out of Christ Hospital. When he retired, it was estimated that Dr. Garber delivered or oversaw the delivery of around 30,000 babies. Dr. Garber's wife Frances was a teacher and an active member of numerous charitable organizations, including the YWCA and the United Way/Community Chest. The Garber's lived in Mt. Auburn and Mt. Lookout.

David's great-grandfather, Frederick Garber was a notable Cincinnati architect who designed many of the city's most important buildings and landmarks. His work included much of Fourth Street [Union Central (now PNC Bank), the Phelps, the St. Paul Chapel of Christ Church, the Dixie Terminal building, the CG&E building, the Guilford School, the Anna Louise Inn, and the Taft Museum (remodeled)], as well as a number of the city's historic schools (Walnut Hills, Western Hills, Withrow, and Hartwell Elementary). Frederick Garber grew up in Western Hills, and spent his adult years in Glendale.

David is the second of four children. He has two brothers - John and Doug, as well as a sister - Susan.

David was recently named "New Democrat of the Week" by New Democrats Online. Read the article here. http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=104&subid=117&contentid=251533

Read the recent CityBeat cover story on David here. http://davidpepper.com/archives/2005/06/against_the_tid.php