Charles E. Bowles (March 24, 1884 – July 30, 1957) was an American politician from Michigan, and served as Mayor of Detroit in 1930.

[2] Bowles entered politics from obscurity and to run for the mayor's office vacated by Frank Ellsworth Doremus's resignation in 1925.

[6] However, Bowles continued his campaign as a write-in candidate, and nearly won, losing only after 15,000 ballots were disqualified.

[7] Bowles had campaigned as an anti-crime reformer, but when he fired Police Commissioner Harold Emmons after the latter had ordered a series of raids, he was accused of "tolerating lawlessness" and a recall election was instituted barely six months after he had entered office.

[7][8] Multiple people campaigned for Bowles's recall, including radio commentator Jerry Buckley.