If elected, son of Indian and Tibetan immigrants would be Ohio’s first mayor of South Asian descent.
Aftab Pureval, son of Indian and Tibetan immigrants, is running for election for Mayor of Cincinnati in Ohio. He is one of the six candidates in the non partisan primary election on May 4.
The top two vote-getters in the primary election will advance to the general election on Nov. 2, 2021. If successful, Pureval will make history as the first mayor of South Asian descent in Ohio state.
A leading Indian American community organization, IMPACT has endorsed Pureval, currently serving as the Hamilton County Clerk since 2017. His current term ends on January 5, 2025.
READ: AAPI Victory Fund endorses Cincinnati mayoral candidate Aftab Pureval (March 22, 2021)
“Aftab has a track record of working to make courts more accessible to underserved communities,” stated Neil Makhija, Executive Director, IMPACT endorsing him.
“Aftab cut waste, added new services, and still saved taxpayers nearly $1 million,” he wrote. “This bi-partisan approach to running an office and showing how the government can work for all people is what Aftab plans to do as mayor.
Describing Pureval as a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform, Makhija wrote, “I’m confident that, as mayor, he will ensure Cincinnati, as a whole, works for all its residents.”
“As mayor, he will fight to rebuild an economy hit hard by the Covid crisis, provide affordable housing, and reform the city’s police & public safety,” he added.
“Pureval is currently leading in the polls, but with the primary less than one week away, we want to do all we can to help Aftab reach the finish line,” Makhija wrote.
READ: Indian American Democrat Aftab Pureval running for Cincinnati mayor (January 15, 2021)
Pureval was born and lives in Ohio. He earned a BA in political science from Ohio State University in 2005 and a JD from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2008.
Pureval’s career experience includes working as a counseling attorney with Procter & Gamble and as an attorney with White & Case LLP.
Pureval, according to his campaign website, says he wants to rebuild the city’s economy to bring prosperity to each neighborhood.
“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,” he said.
Pureval said that COVID-19 highlighted “inequities in our justice, health care, housing and economic systems” and that he would work towards equitable economic growth.
He would invest in public safety, including creating unarmed crisis response units to certain emergency calls and providing additional funding for the Citizen Complaint Authority, Pureval added.
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READ: Indian American Democrat Aftab Pureval wins Ohio District 1 primary unopposed (May 10, 2018)
Indian American Aftab Pureval running from Ohio’s first congressional district (February 19, 2018)