CINCINNATI — The ballot is set: Incumbent Aftab Pureval will face newcomer Cory Bowman in the race for Cincinnati mayor this November, AP projects.
The two candidates with the most votes in Tuesday's nonpartisan primary move on to the November election. Pureval was the first to advance, with Bowman following him. Republican Brian Frank finished in third.
Pureval received 18,505 votes, Bowman had 2,894 votes and Frank had 1,022 votes.
WATCH: Pureval, Bowman react to results of Cincinnati mayoral primary
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.
“I would humbly ask for your vote to continue the incredible progress that we’ve seen in Cincinnati," Pureval said.
Pureval said he hopes to continue to work on housing and live entertainment for the city, but his top initiative is public safety.
“There is no doubt that we continue to have a violent crime problem in our city," said Pureval. "We believe that we are getting safer, the data shows that, but no one's declaring victory; we still have challenges.”
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.
"When you see the roads, when you see the infrastructure, when you see our snow plows that are kind of not in perfect position, when you see even like our police cruisers that need to be updated ... whether it be for good intention or not, we're seeing that the priorities haven't been the streets," Bowman told us before the primary.
Bowman's half-brother did send a message of support for Bowman on social media, saying on X (formerly Twitter), "Hey Cincinnati! My brother Cory Bowman is running for mayor and is on the ballot today for the primary. He’s a good guy with a heart for serving his community. Get out there and vote for him!"
The mayoral candidate said he texted Vance to thank him for the endorsement.
"When it comes to that relationship, I've said it over and over, but I'll repeat it, he's an amazing role model of mine,' Bowman said. "I look up to him as a big brother."
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
