Cincinnati Mayoral Primary Overview and Live Results
By 270toWin Staff
May 4, 2021
Cincinnati is the 64th largest city in the United States,1 1City rankings are based on July 1, 2019 Census Bureau population estimates. They are for the city itself, not the associated metropolitan area. with a population of about 300,000. Tuesday's all-party mayoral primary will select the two candidates that will meet in the November 2 general election.
The current mayor is Democrat John Cranley, who is completing his second four year term. He is unable to run due to term limits. There are six candidates on the ballot. While officially nonpartisan (NPA label on the results below), five of the candidates are Democrats; Herman Najoli is an independent.
There's little clarity on which two candidates will advance to the general election. The top tier candidates are Aftab Pureval, Cecil Thomas and David Mann, with Gavi Begtrup also in the running. Pureval, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, has raised the most money. Herman Najoli has raised little and did not participate in an online debate last month.
Polls close at 7:30 PM.
A couple notes:
- An early frontrunner in the race, P.G. Sittenfeld, was arrested on federal corruption charges last November. He was suspended from his city council role in December and withdrew from the race in February.
- The last Republican to appear on the primary ballot was Brad Wenstrup in 2009.
- The last Republican to serve as mayor was Bill Gradison who left office in 1971. In that era - and for the period from 1925-1999 - the mayor was chosen by the City Council.
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