CINCINNATI — Two Republican candidates are vying for the prospect to problem Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval in November’s normal election, marking the primary time since 2009 that Republicans have entered the mayoral race.
The final day to vote within the major is Tuesday, Could 6.
Watch our interviews with each candidates:
1-on-1 with the two Cincinnati mayoral major candidates hoping to problem Aftab Pureval
Cory Bowman
Cory Bowman based The River Church within the West Finish in 2020 and co-owns Kings Arms Espresso.
Whereas he stated he by no means aspired to hitch politics, watching his half-brother, Vice President JD Vance, be inaugurated in January impressed him to get entangled.
Nonetheless, he stated he desires to maintain nationwide politics out of native authorities.
“You’re going to have a tough time attempting to get me to debate on these nationwide points once we see individuals on the streets which can be struggling, not due to these nationwide points, they’re struggling as a result of our metropolis has not achieved their job correctly,” Bowman stated.
Bowman is focusing his marketing campaign on three points: correct cash administration, infrastructure and public security.
“If you see the roads, once you see the infrastructure, once you see our snow plows which can be form of not in good place, once you see even like our police cruisers that must be up to date … whether or not it’s for good intention or not, we’re seeing that the priorities have not been the streets,” Bowman stated.
The enterprise proprietor and pastor additionally believes police want extra autonomy to do their jobs successfully.
“You probably have the gall to say that crime is down, that is a slap within the face to the individuals downtown,” Bowman stated. “The programs that now we have in place may allow them to control these statistics. However if you happen to’re dwelling downtown, if you happen to’re dwelling within the streets of our neighborhoods, you already know that that is false.”
Bowman desires a assessment of the town’s emergency name consumption middle to higher prioritize officers.
Officers are “not being prioritized in terms of releasing up their arms and permitting them to do the roles,” he stated.
Brian Frank
Brian Frank, a former procurement govt at Procter & Gamble, shares comparable issues about metropolis providers, notably snow elimination.
When requested about particular adjustments he’d make to enhance snow elimination, Frank pointed to gear points.
“Nicely, to start with, we misplaced 20% of our snow elimination fleet the primary day, they went on the market and tried to plow streets the place there are velocity bumps,” Frank stated.
Frank desires to check the velocity humps, although the town has acknowledged they didn’t harm the fleet, citing put on and tear as an alternative.
A Mount Adams resident, Frank stated a mix of metropolis snow elimination points and the silence from the town on the fireplace hazards that brought about the I-471 S Large Mac Bridge hearth motivated him to run for workplace.
Relating to growth, Frank stated he opposed the development of a deliberate growth of a resort and residences in Hyde Park Sq. that required zoning adjustments.
“They need to construct it three tales greater than it must be. That is completely incorrect. So I need to put a cease to that nonsense,” Frank stated.
The previous P&G exec additionally advocates for privatizing the town’s well being clinics,
“We’re not consultants at working well being care facilities,” Frank stated. “We have consultants who do this, and we must be reaching out to somebody like UC Well being or Tri-Well being or Christ Hospital, bunches of them on the market, who might tackle that position.”
Amongst Frank’s extra bold proposals is creating what he calls a brand new vacationer attraction — a gondola from the downtown on line casino to Mount Adams.
“It is a recreation changer for not solely Cincinnati, however all the United States of America,” Frank stated, including that it’s a cheaper possibility than different types of mass transit. “I need Cincinnati to be on the nationwide stage, and we’ll take this additional as soon as we get this primary one inbuilt Mount Adams.”
Difficult Mayor Aftab Pureval
Mayor Aftab Pureval gained the 2021 mayor’s race with almost 66% of votes.
WCPO 9 invited him to hitch us for this story final week. After each challengers agreed to a Wednesday interview, Pureval’s marketing campaign stated Tuesday the mayor could be unable to sit down down for an interview earlier than airtime.
WCPO 9 advised the marketing campaign the invitation for an interview nonetheless stands.
In an e-mail in January asserting his re-election marketing campaign, Pureval expressed pleasure within the metropolis’s current achievements and confidence that extra work stays to be achieved.
“Operating for re-election has been one of many best selections I’ve ever made,” Pureval stated within the message. “That is our second, and I am extra decided than ever to maintain constructing on the progress we have achieved collectively.”
“Collectively, we are able to propel Cincinnati ahead and attain our full potential,” Pureval stated, assuring supporters that he’ll proceed to steer with the group’s finest pursuits at coronary heart.
Pureval first took workplace in 2021 and has prioritized bettering metropolis infrastructure, enhancing public security and fostering financial development.
Beforehand, council members have stated the town finances subsequent yr ought to prioritize public providers and infrastructure. That finances is about to be unveiled by Pureval in late Could.
