CINCINNATI — Beginning at 8 p.m., Cincinnati's two mayoral candidates will debate one another on a stage at Xavier University.
Mayor Aftab Pureval, the incumbent, and Cory Bowman, the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, will debate the top issues facing Cincinnatians ahead of the November election that will decide the city's next mayor.
Doors to the event open at 7:30 p.m., with the candidates scheduled to begin debating at 8 p.m. We plan to have a crew there, and will live stream the entire debate here when it begins.
Space is limited in the Cintas Center, so people must register ahead of time to obtain a ticket to attend. Inside, no one will be allowed to bring signage, noise makers or campaign materials into the Cintas Center's Duff Banquet Room. Seating is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The debate is being moderated by the Cincinnati Enquirer, in coordination with the Ohio Debate Commission.
In the primary election in May, candidate Brian Frank received the lowest amount of votes and did not advance; Pureval received 18,505 votes, Bowman had 2,894 votes and Frank had 1,022 votes.
Pureval has been Cincinnati's mayor since 2021, when he defeated former city council member and two-time mayor David Mann with nearly 66% of the vote. He was the first Asian American to be elected as the city's mayor.
Pureval said back in May that he hopes to continue to work on housing and live entertainment for the city, but his top initiative is public safety. The issue of public safety became a talking point over the summer, following a viral downtown brawl that left some people injured and resulted in multiple arrests.
Bowman is the founder of The River Church in the West End and co-owner of Kings Arms Coffee. He told us watching the inauguration of his half-brother, Vice President JD Vance, inspired him to get involved in politics.
The 36-year-old is focusing his campaign on infrastructure, money management and public safety. According to the Hamilton County Republican Party, Bowman is the first Republican to run for Cincinnati mayor since 2009; Cincinnati's mayoral race is, however, nonpartisan.
