2021 Cincinnati mayoral election explained

Election Name:	2021 Cincinnati mayoral election
Flag Image:	Flag of Cincinnati, Ohio.svg
Country:	Cincinnati
Type:	Mayoral
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2017 Cincinnati mayoral election
Previous Year:	2017
Next Election:	2025 Cincinnati mayoral election
Next Year:	2025
Election Date:	November 2, 2021
1Blank:	First-round
2Blank:	Runoff
Image1:	File:Mayor Pureval 2023.jpg
Candidate1:	Aftab Pureval
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Alliance1:	Democratic
Popular Vote1:	34,541
Percentage1:	65.84%
Candidate2:	David Mann
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Alliance2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	17,919
Percentage2:	34.16%
Map Size:	x245px
Mayor
Before Election:	John Cranley
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Aftab Pureval
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2021 Cincinnati mayoral election took place on November 2, 2021, to elect the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. The election was officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the primary election on May 4, 2021, advancing to the general election, regardless of party. Incumbent Democratic mayor John Cranley, first elected in 2013, was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term. Democratic Hamilton County clerk of court Aftab Pureval won the election over fellow Democrat and former congressman David S. Mann.^[1]

Primary election

Candidates

Declared

Gavi Begtrup (D) – Small business owner, former policy advisor for U.S. Representative from Arizona Gabby Giffords^[2] ^[3]
David Mann (D) – City councillor (1974–1992, 2013–present), former Mayor of Cincinnati (1980–1982, 1991), former U.S. Representative from Ohio's 1st congressional district (1993–1995)^[4]
Herman Najoli (I) – Adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University^[5]
Raffel Prophett (D) – Retired firefighter^[5]
Aftab Pureval (D) – Hamilton County Clerk of Courts (2017–present), nominee for Ohio's 1st congressional district in 2018^[6]
Cecil Thomas (D) – State senator for the 9th district (2015–2023), former city councillor (2005–2013)^[7]

Disqualified

Adam Koehler (I), tech entrepreneur^[8]
Kelli Prather (D), community activist and perennial candidate^[5]
Wendell Young (D), city councillor^[9]

Withdrawn

P.G. Sittenfeld (D), city councillor and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016^[10]

Declined

Mark Mallory (D), director of community development at FC Cincinnati and former Mayor of Cincinnati^[11] ^[12] (Endorsed Aftab Pureval)^[13]
David Pepper (D), former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, former Hamilton County commissioner, and nominee for Attorney General of Ohio in 2014
Chris Seelbach (D), city councillor^[14]
Christopher Smitherman (I), Vice Mayor and city councillor^[15] (Endorsed David Mann)^[16]

Results

General election

Candidates

David Mann, city councillor (Democratic Party)
Aftab Pureval, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts (Democratic Party)

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of June 15, 2021
Candidate	Total raised	Cash on hand
David Mann	$172,330	$22,483
Aftab Pureval	$593,275	$73,277
^[18]

Debates

2021 Cincinnati mayoral election debates
	Date & Time	Host(s)	Moderator(s)	Link	Participants
Key: Participant Non-invitee Invitee					Mann	Pureval<	--	-bgcolor="#F7E7CE"-->
1^[19]

Results

External links

Official campaign websites

Notes and References

News: Coolidge . Sharon . Mann concedes; Cincinnati's next mayor is Aftab Pureval . 2 Nov 2021 . Cincinnati Enquirer . 2 Nov 2021 . en.
Web site: Gavi for Cincy. 2021-01-16. Gavi for Cincy. en-US.
Web site: Coolidge. Sharon. Meet Gavi Begtrup: A scientist and start-up founder running for Cincinnati mayor. 2021-01-27. The Enquirer. en-US.
News: Merritt . Jennifer . David Mann Running For Cincinnati Mayor . Wvxu . 9 September 2020 . en . 26 May 2020.
Web site: Goffinet. Jared. Race for Cincinnati's next mayor down to 6. 2021-02-23. www.fox19.com. en-US.
Web site: Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval announces Cincinnati mayoral run. 2021-01-15. Cincinnati Enquirer. en.
Web site: Wilkinson. Howard. What To Watch In Ohio Politics In 2021, From Cincinnati On Up. 2021-01-01. www.wvxu.org. December 31, 2020. en.
Web site: Goffinet. Jared. Koehler doesn't meet signature requirement needed for 2021 mayoral race, BOE says. 2021-02-23. www.fox19.com. February 23, 2021 . en-US.
Web site: Article . Cincinnati.com . 2021-02-22 . 2021-03-22.
Web site: Staff. WLWT Digital. 2021-02-18. P.G. Sittenfeld announces he will no longer run for mayor amid federal corruption case. 2021-02-19. WLWT. en.
Web site: Coolidge. Sharon. January 26, 2021. Mark Mallory, David Pepper won't run for Cincinnati mayor. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126202220/https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/01/26/mark-mallory-and-david-pepper-not-run-cincinnati-mayor/4264751001/ . January 26, 2021 . January 26, 2021. Cincinnati.com.
Web site: 2 political heavyweights say they won't run for mayor of Cincinnati. Brian. Planalp. www.fox19.com. January 26, 2021 .
Web site: Coolidge. Sharon. Former mayors weigh in on possible new mayors: Mark Mallory for Aftab Pureval; Charlie Luken for David Mann. 2021-05-03. The Enquirer. en-US.
Web site: Staff. WLWT Digital. 2021-02-17. Chris Seelbach will not run for mayor of Cincinnati. 2021-02-19. WLWT. en.
Web site: Staff. WLWT Digital. 2021-02-18. Chris Smitherman will not enter Cincinnati's 2021 mayoral race. 2021-02-19. WLWT. en.
Web site: Coolidge. Sharon. Former mayors weigh in on possible new mayors: Mark Mallory for Aftab Pureval; Charlie Luken for David Mann. 2021-05-01. The Enquirer. en-US.
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/columnists/politics-extra/2021/04/17/cincinnati-corruption-how-voters-view-texting-pay-to-play-turmoil-city-hall/7220946002/ Strategic Insights Research
News: Chris Wetterich . Cincinnati mayoral money race: Who's ahead as campaign enters next phase? . 3 December 2022 . Cincinnati Business Courier . Jun 15, 2021.
Web site: David Mann-Aftab Pureval debate moved to Sept. 21.