Beating JD Vance’s Brother, Aftab Pureval Cruises To Second Term As Cincinnati Mayor

India-West News Desk

CINCINNATI, OH — Aftab Pureval has done it again. Cincinnati’s trailblazing mayor secured a decisive second term on November 4, earning a resounding 78% of the vote and reaffirming his status as one of Ohio’s most popular Democratic leaders. His Republican challenger, Cory Bowman—a pastor and half-brother of Vice President JD Vance—trailed far behind with 22%.

Pureval simply posted, “Cincinnati, it’s the honor of my life to serve as your mayor. I’m humbled, and I’m ready, to continue our work for the next four years.”

Despite months of GOP efforts to portray him as out of touch on crime and city management, Pureval’s leadership record and connection with residents carried him to an even stronger victory than before. Republican-led town halls, viral social media critiques, and heated public meetings failed to sway Cincinnati voters, who once again delivered Democrats a clean sweep, winning the mayor’s office and all nine City Council seats.

At 43, Pureval continues to make history. The son of a Punjabi father and a Tibetan refugee mother, he became Cincinnati’s first Asian American mayor in 2021 and has since emerged as a symbol of inclusive and pragmatic leadership in the Midwest.

From the start, Pureval was favored to win big. He dominated the all-party primary in May with over 80% of the vote, signaling broad support across political lines. Known for his energy and optimism, Pureval often invokes his family’s immigrant journey as the foundation of his public service. “Forty-four years ago, my parents left Tibet and India because they believed in the promise of America,” he wrote earlier this year while endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Before entering politics, Pureval built a diverse résumé—working as a lawyer in Washington, D.C., serving as a special assistant U.S. attorney in Ohio, and later joining Procter & Gamble as global brand counsel for Olay. His first foray into politics came in 2016, followed by an unsuccessful congressional run in 2018. But his mayoral victories have cemented his status as a rising Democratic star in Ohio.

Meanwhile, Bowman, an evangelical pastor who co-founded The River Church, ran a spirited but underfunded campaign. Vice President Vance encouraged voters to support his half-brother during the May primaries, but was absent from the general election push.