If you’re walking through Over-the-Rhine or grabbing a coney at Skyline and the conversation turns to politics, one name is going to come up almost immediately. Aftab Pureval is the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.
He isn't just a name on a ballot. He’s the 70th person to hold the office and, honestly, he’s been making history since he first stepped into City Hall in 2022. He just secured a second term in November 2025, which means he’s the guy steering the ship through 2026 and beyond.
But who is he, really?
Most people know him as the "Big, Brown, and Beautiful" candidate—a slogan he actually used back in middle school. It stuck. Pureval is the first Asian American mayor in Cincinnati’s history. That’s a big deal for a city that has spent decades grappling with its own identity and racial history.
The Man Behind the Title: Who is the Mayor of Cincinnati Ohio?
Aftab Pureval didn't just drop out of the sky into the mayor's seat. He’s a Buckeye through and through. Born in Xenia and raised in Beavercreek, he’s the son of immigrants—his father is from India and his mother is a refugee from Tibet. That background isn't just a fun fact; it's the lens through which he views basically every policy he touches.
He’s an attorney by trade. He went to Ohio State (Go Bucks) and then the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Before he was the mayor, he was the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts.
People liked him there.
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He was the first Democrat to hold that office in over a century. He did things like raising the minimum wage for clerks and ending the "nepotism" culture that had sort of defined that office for a while. That gave him the momentum to run for mayor in 2021, where he beat David Mann with a staggering 66% of the vote.
Then came the 2025 election.
It was a weird one. He ran against Cory Bowman, who happens to be the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance. Despite the high-profile connection of his opponent, Pureval crushed it. He pulled in about 78% of the popular vote. Cincinnatians clearly liked the direction he was taking, even if the local GOP tried to make some noise about crime and taxes.
What has he actually done?
It’s easy to get caught up in the "first Asian American" headline, but the day-to-day work is where the rubber meets the road. Pureval has been obsessed with something called Connected Communities.
It’s a zoning reform. Basically, he wants to make it legal to build more types of housing—duplexes, townhomes, row houses—in neighborhoods where it used to be banned.
The goal? Affordable housing.
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He’s also leaned hard into the "Green Economy." He wants Cincinnati to be a "climate haven." While some people roll their eyes at that, he’s actually putting money into it, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.
Then there’s the money stuff.
Right now, in 2026, he’s pushing for an income tax increase. It’s a bold move. He says the city's budget is "perilous" and that the money is needed for public safety and "disrupting poverty." Not everyone is on board—Councilman Ryan James famously said he felt "blindsided" by the announcement—but Pureval isn't known for playing it safe.
Life in Clifton and the Family Man Image
When he isn’t at City Hall, Pureval lives in Clifton. He’s married to Whitney Whitis, an internal medicine doctor at Bethesda North. They’ve got two sons, Bodhi and Rami.
You’ll often see him at FC Cincinnati games or wandering around the University of Cincinnati area. He’s very much a "man of the city" type of politician. He’s young, he’s energetic, and he uses social media in a way that makes older politicians look like they’re still using rotary phones.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
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He’s faced criticism for his stance on international issues, like the Gaza ceasefire resolutions at the local level. He basically said the city shouldn't be getting involved in foreign policy like that. Some residents were furious, calling it a double standard.
What to Watch for in 2026
If you’re keeping tabs on the Mayor of Cincinnati Ohio this year, here’s what’s actually on the table:
- The Tax Vote: Whether the city council puts that income tax increase on the ballot is the biggest story of the year. If it fails, Pureval might have to make some nasty budget cuts.
- Public Safety: Gun violence remains a thorn in the side of his administration. He’s trying "holistic" approaches, like sending mental health pros to 911 calls, but the city still wants to see the numbers drop.
- The City Manager: Sheryl Long is the City Manager, and her performance review is happening right now in early 2026. Since the mayor and the manager have to work together closely, any friction there could stall his agenda.
Pureval is currently in his second and final term (Cincinnati has a two-term limit). That means he’s likely thinking about "legacy" now. He’s not just trying to win the next election; he’s trying to finish the projects he started four years ago.
How to get involved or stay informed
If you want to keep an eye on what the mayor is doing, you don't have to wait for the news. You can literally watch the City Council meetings online or head down to Plum Street yourself.
Actionable next steps:
- Check the City of Cincinnati's official website for the schedule of upcoming public forums regarding the proposed tax increase.
- Follow the Hamilton County Board of Elections if you want to see the official breakdown of the 2025 results that kept Pureval in office.
- If you're a resident, use the 311Cincy app to report neighborhood issues; it’s one of the tech-forward initiatives the Pureval administration has been pushing to streamline city services.
The Queen City is changing fast. Whether you love his policies or hate the idea of a tax hike, there’s no denying that Aftab Pureval is the face of that change.