Indian-origin leader Aftab Pureval has been re-elected as the Mayor of Cincinnati, defeating his Republican challenger Cory Bowman — the half-brother of US Vice President JD Vance. This victory secures Pureval, 43, a second consecutive term in office. Though the position of mayor in Cincinnati is officially non-partisan, Pureval is widely recognized for his alignment with the Democratic Party.
Earlier this year, Pureval demonstrated strong public backing when he won the all-party municipal primary in May, securing over 80% of the total vote. His popularity among Cincinnati residents continues to reflect confidence in his leadership and progressive governance style.
Born in Ohio to a Punjabi father and a Tibetan refugee mother, Pureval’s story embodies the immigrant dream. His early political curiosity began in eighth grade when he won a student election with the slogan “Big, Brown, and Beautiful.” After earning his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, he started his legal career in Washington, D.C. in 2008. Four years later, he returned to Ohio to serve as a special assistant US attorney with the Department of Justice.
Pureval’s corporate experience includes working as legal counsel at Procter & Gamble, where he represented Olay as global brand attorney. In 2016, he stepped away from the corporate world to enter politics full-time. Though his first major campaign in 2018 — for Ohio’s 1st Congressional District — ended in defeat, he soon emerged as a formidable political figure.
In 2021, Pureval won the Cincinnati mayoral race against fellow Democrat and former mayor David S. Mann with 66% of the vote, becoming the city’s first Asian-American mayor.
His opponent in the 2025 election, Cory Bowman, 36, is a pastor and coffee shop owner who co-founded The River Church in Cincinnati. Bowman and JD Vance share the same father, though they reconnected only in their teenage years. Despite not actively joining the campaign, Vice President Vance expressed public support for his half-brother earlier in the year.
Pureval’s re-election underscores Cincinnati’s continued trust in his leadership and highlights the growing influence of Indian-origin politicians in American politics.
