Aftab Pureval

Aftab Pureval

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mayor of Cincinnati

Mayor of Cincinnati

Tenure

2022 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

3

Predecessor

John Cranley

Prior offices

Hamilton County Clerk of Courts

Successor: Pavan Parikh

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 2, 2021

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

The Ohio State University, 2005

Law

University of Cincinnati, 2008

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Official website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign TikTok

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Aftab Pureval is the Mayor of Cincinnati in Ohio. He assumed office on January 4, 2022. His current term ends on January 5, 2026.

Pureval is running for re-election for Mayor of Cincinnati in Ohio. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. He advanced from the primary on May 6, 2025.

Pureval was the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts from 2017 to 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Biography

Aftab Pureval earned a B.A. in political science from Ohio State University in 2005 and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2008. Pureval's career experience includes working as a counseling attorney with Procter & Gamble, an attorney with White & Case LLP, and a special assistant United States attorney.

Elections

2025

See also: Mayoral election in Cincinnati, Ohio (2025)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Mayor of Cincinnati

Incumbent Aftab Pureval, Cory Bowman, and Julien Spivey are running in the general election for Mayor of Cincinnati on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Aftab Pureval (Nonpartisan)
		Cory Bowman (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Julien Spivey (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Cincinnati

Incumbent Aftab Pureval and Cory Bowman defeated Brian Frank in the primary for Mayor of Cincinnati on May 6, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftab Pureval (Nonpartisan)	82.6	18,747
✔		Cory Bowman (Nonpartisan)	12.9	2,926
		Brian Frank (Nonpartisan)	4.5	1,031

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,704
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

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2021

See also: Mayoral election in Cincinnati, Ohio (2021)

General election

General election for Mayor of Cincinnati

Aftab Pureval defeated David Mann in the general election for Mayor of Cincinnati on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftab Pureval (Nonpartisan)	65.8	34,541
		David Mann (Nonpartisan)	34.2	17,919

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 52,460
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Cincinnati

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Cincinnati on May 4, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftab Pureval (Nonpartisan)	39.2	13,302
✔		David Mann (Nonpartisan)	29.0	9,830
		Cecil Thomas (Nonpartisan)	16.5	5,589
		Gavi Begtrup (Nonpartisan)	9.5	3,229
	Submit photo	Raffel Prophett (Nonpartisan)	3.5	1,196
		Herman Najoli (Nonpartisan)	2.3	780

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,926
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Adam Koehler (Nonpartisan)
• Kelli Prather (Nonpartisan)
• Tyra Oldham (Nonpartisan)
• Wendell Young (Nonpartisan)

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Hamilton County, Ohio (2020)

General election

General election for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts

Incumbent Aftab Pureval defeated Alex Glandorf in the general election for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftab Pureval (D)	57.3	237,825
	Submit photo	Alex Glandorf (R)	42.7	177,524

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 415,349
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts

Incumbent Aftab Pureval advanced from the Democratic primary for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftab Pureval	100.0	63,077

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 63,077
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts

Alex Glandorf advanced from the Republican primary for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Alex Glandorf	100.0	32,044

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,044
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Ohio's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

See also: Ohio's 1st Congressional District election (May 8, 2018 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 1

Incumbent Steve Chabot defeated Aftab Pureval and Dirk Kubala in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Chabot (R)	51.3	154,409
		Aftab Pureval (D)	46.9	141,118
		Dirk Kubala (L)	1.8	5,339
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	5

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 300,871 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Mike Goldschmidt (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 1

Aftab Pureval advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 1 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftab Pureval	100.0	28,068

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 28,068
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Robert Barr (D)
• Laura Ann Weaver (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 1

Incumbent Steve Chabot defeated Samuel Ronan in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 1 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Chabot	83.2	41,298
		Samuel Ronan	16.8	8,324

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 49,622
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Aftab Pureval has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Aftab Pureval asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Aftab Pureval, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

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You can ask Aftab Pureval to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing info@aftabformayor.com.

2021

Aftab Pureval did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Pureval’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Rebuilding our Economy We need strong leadership in the Mayor’s office to come out of the gate swinging with an aggressive economic recovery from COVID-19. As Mayor, I will rebuild our economy to make sure that prosperity is shared in every neighborhood — an economy with better wages, paid family leave, and opportunities for people to start and grow small businesses. This starts on day one by cutting red tape, providing navigators to help small businesses and working to leverage city dollars to support a diverse and talented pipeline of entrepreneurs. COVID-19 has shone a light on the inequities in our society. Black and brown people, communities and businesses have been disproportionately affected by COVID due to systemic racism. We need to grow, but we need to grow equitably. We must take on the inequities in our justice, health care, housing and economic systems. As Mayor, I will put people first and prioritize making every Cincinnatian proud of their city. Public Safety Our relationship with local police officers is critical for our ability to lift up all 52 neighborhoods. We must confront the historic rise in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent need for police reform. We must invest in public safety so every neighborhood is safe. This starts with leaning on what we know works: making sure police officers are active members of the communities they serve, walking the beat and maintaining relationships with those they protect. We must also leverage our crisis response services in a more effective and efficient way. When 911 is called, there’s a good chance the services aren’t appropriate for the situation’s needs. As Mayor, I will work to expand 911 services to include unarmed, trained professionals to handle response calls. This can free up police officers to do their work and more effectively build relationships in the city. These efforts, along with fully funding the Citizen Complaint Authority, can make a tangible difference as we rebuild our trust and bonds with those serving in uniform. Reforming our justice system is not just important for our Black and brown communities; it’s important for all of us. Affordable Housing Our city must commit to affordable housing. This starts with a strategy that brings all of us together to get serious about funding the affordable housing trust fund. We have to leverage city dollars to partner with our local corporations, institutional philanthropies, and most importantly with the federal government to raise the resources necessary. As Mayor, I will create incentives to include affordable housing, fight to allow multi-family zoning, and expand the affordable housing trust fund. I will build an infrastructure that puts us in a position to succeed, rather than one that doesn’t use city dollars as effectively as it could. We also need a real commitment to tenants’ rights. We need a housing court to hold bad landlords accountable and support tenants and homeowners who want to grow with their neighborhoods. And we have to balance the playing field in eviction court by working to ensure greater access to lawyers and legal services for tenants who can’t afford representation. For too long our city has not been committed to affordable housing. As Mayor, I will change that. Basic Services If you care about the city making sure the streets are plowed and the garbage is picked up, you need to hire the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. City departments are short staffed and asked to do more than ever — and with fewer resources. We need a Mayor who will reinvest in our basic services. Every day, I work to make sure the Courthouse is running effectively and efficiently. I reformed an antiquated and inefficient office and leaned into innovation and creativity, creating an award-winning legal help center to support those most vulnerable during this pandemic. And we saved millions of taxpayers dollars while doing it. As Mayor, I will deliver the same approach to making sure Cincinnatians receive the basic services they depend on.	”
—Aftab Pureval’s campaign website (2021)

2020

Aftab Pureval did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Campaign website

The following themes were found on Pureval's campaign website.

“	Jobs and the Economy Taxes Congress passed a tax bill that gives 83 percent of the benefits to the top 1% when fully implemented. The tax bill blows a $1.5 trillion hole in the deficit. Paul Ryan has said he intends to pay for that hole by making cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Aftab opposes that tax bill. Instead, Aftab believes we need permanent middle-class tax relief that benefits working families. For too long, our leaders in Washington have rigged the American economy to benefit the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else. In Congress, Aftab will oppose wasteful tax breaks, close the unfair loopholes in our tax code, and end incentives that encourage huge corporations to ship American jobs overseas. Aftab’s Plan: Bring permanent middle-class tax relief. Ensure hedge fund managers don’t pay less than working families. End the tax break companies get for shipping jobs overseas. Equal Pay for Equal Work Too often in this country people are paid different amounts for the same work because of who they are. This is wrong. In Congress, Aftab will stand up for equal pay for equal work just like he did as Clerk of Courts. Paid Family and Medical Leave Right now, a family illness can turn life into chaos. That’s why as Clerk of Courts, Aftab provided Paid Family Leave for all his employees. This included paternity leave, maternity leave, and comprehensive sick leave because no one should lose their job to take care of their family. In Congress, Aftab will fight to do the same thing for all families. Minimum Wage The minimum wage hasn’t been raised for more than a decade. In the richest country in the world, it is simply immoral for a person to work full time and live in poverty. That is why Aftab raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour for the employees at the Clerk of Courts office, and that’s why he supports raising the federal minimum wage. Unions The same leaders who rigged our tax system in favor of the wealthy have also tried to undermine America’s unions. Labor unions are the backbone of the middle class, and Aftab will always stand with working families. Aftab supports the right of workers to collectively bargain with their employers and opposes “right-to-work” laws that aim to create barriers to workers’ efforts to receive a fair wage. Trade During the debates about NAFTA, CAFTA, and trade with China, America was promised that these agreements would be win-win for Americans and for workers. But that hasn’t always been the case. Aftab won’t support trade agreements that fail to protect American workers, provide assistance to any worker displaced, and require strong labor and environmental protections. Sending Jobs Overseas Aftab will fight to eliminate the tax incentives that lead corporations to ship jobs overseas. Aftab also supports efforts to end tax breaks or trade agreements that encourage corporations to give up well-paying domestic jobs for offshore jobs. HEALTHCARE I believe healthcare is a right, not a luxury, and we need to protect access to it. Protecting Access Healthcare is a right of all people, regardless of income, and all Americans should have affordable access to quality care. Congress has repeatedly tried to take healthcare away from families in our district. Aftab will always fight to protect our healthcare. Instead of trying to score political points or furthering ideological ends we need to come together and finally work to fix healthcare so that it is affordable and accessible. Aftab’s Plan: Protect access to health care and vote against efforts to repeal healthcare coverage for those in our district. Ensure coverage for people with pre-existing conditions so that insurance companies can’t discriminate. There are more than 300,000 people with pre-existing conditions in our district. Stabilize instead of sabotage the healthcare market to keep premiums from going up. Protecting Medicare Medicare is a promise we’ve made to our seniors and one of the most important government programs ever created. In Congress, Aftab will protect Medicare from efforts to cut it or privatize it. We must also ensure that seniors can afford their medication and that out of pocket expenses are manageable. Aftab’s Plan Protect benefits in Medicare and keep costs down for seniors. End the prescription drug doughnut hole now. Change the law so that Medicare can negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower to cost of prescription drugs. EDUCATION I’m a proud product of public schools and will work to make our schools the best in the country. K-12 Public Education Every child deserves a quality public education but instead of working to improve our schools too many instead want to simply rob our K-12 schools and give the money away to for-profit, private schools. Aftab opposes these efforts. K-12 schools are primarily funded and monitored by state and local governments, but the federal government has an important role to ensure that all children have access to quality care and students with special needs are protected. Aftab will work to ensure both of these goals are met in Washington. Education After High School College isn’t the only or best option for every student after high school, but developing skills is increasingly important for workers competing in a global economy. That’s why Aftab supports increasing student aid no matter what post-secondary choice a student makes, be it college, community college, or technical school. Student Debt Student debt has reached unsustainable levels and we must address this crisis. Aftab will advocate for loan forgiveness programs, lower interest rates for government loans, and increased funding for Pell Grants and other aid programs. Child Care Being pro-family means ensuring that families can afford childcare. That’s why Aftab supports efforts to invest in a high-quality child care system that works for everyone and supports tax credits and incentive programs that will ensure everyone can afford quality child care. ENVIRONMENT Public Health The Environmental Protection Agency must be properly funded so that it can regulate, monitor, and enforce standards to uphold the requirements of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and other similar regulations for Americans’ wellbeing and safety. Aftab is committed to protecting and strengthening current laws that protect communities from toxic chemicals and pollution. LGBTQ RIGHTS I am deeply committed to equality for all people and will be a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights. Aftab believes that all Ohioans should be given the same rights and treated the same way no matter who they are or whom they love. That’s why in Congress he will fight to enshrine these protections into law. Employment Members of the LGBTQ community shouldn’t be fired just because of who they are, but in many states today it is still legal to fire someone just for being gay. This is wrong. In Congress, Aftab will support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to give full protections to LGBT workers. Marriage Aftab supports the right of two consenting adults to marry, regardless of their sexual orientation. Adoption Aftab supports making decisions on adoption based on the best interest of the child, without bans based on sexual orientation or gender identity of the adopter. Students Students have a right to feel safe in their school and that’s why Aftab supports the Student Non-Discrimination Act, which prohibits public schools from discriminating against students based on their identities. WOMEN’S RIGHTS Women’s rights are human rights, and I will always, always stand with women. Aftab believes we must fight to ensure that women and men have equal access to opportunity, that women’s healthcare is protected, and that women can make their own decisions about their reproductive rights. Equal Pay for Equal Work We must ensure equal pay for equal work, support pro-worker programs like paid family leave, and we must invest in small business loans for women-owned businesses. Access to Healthcare Aftab will fight cuts to healthcare and any attempts to strip coverage for pre-existing conditions like pregnancy or breast cancer. Aftab also believes that we must support a woman’s constitutional right to choose safe, legal abortions established in Roe v. Wade. No Tolerance for Sexual Harassment Aftab supports the strongest laws against discrimination and harassment, he will work to fully fund the Violence Against Women Act, and he will enact a strict sexual harassment policy in his Congressional office, just like he did as Clerk of Courts.	”
—Aftab Pureval's 2018 campaign website

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Pureval's 2018 election campaign.

"Together" Pureval campaign ad, released November 1, 2018

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by John Cranley	Mayor of Cincinnati 2022-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Hamilton County Clerk of Courts 2017-2022	Succeeded by Pavan Parikh (D)