Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina Bowles entered politics during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign as a fundraiser. He chaired the Small Business Administration under Clinton's administration and then advanced to the White House, where Bowles served chief of staff during Clinton's second term in office. In 2000, Bowles ran for the United States Senate, only to be defeated by Republican challenger Elizabeth Dole. He is expected to make a second run for the Senate in 2004, seeking to fill the seat vacated by fellow Democrat John Edwards.