Aftab Pureval elected as the first Asian American mayor of Cincinnati

Aftab Pureval will be the first Asian American mayor in the history of Cincinnati after winning election Tuesday night. Pureval, who is his second term as the Hamilton County clerk of courts, defeated fellow Democrat David Mann.

With all 190 precincts reporting, Pureval received 65% of votes cast, according to unofficial results from Hamilton County. Following his victory, the 39-year-old lawyer celebrated on Twitter.

"Words can't express how honored and excited I am to be the next Mayor of Cincinnati," Pureval said. "Tonight, we made history! Let's get to work!"

Pureval is the son of a Tibetan mother and a father from India. He left his attorney job in 2015 to run for county clerk and won, becoming the first Democrat in more than 100 years to be elected clerk. 

Reflecting on his Tuesday night victory, he spoke to supporters about the city that elected him. 

"Cincinnati is a place where no matter what you look like, where you're from, or how much money you have, if you come here and work hard you can achieve your dreams," he said, the Associated Press reported. 

After a failed bid for Congress in 2020, Pureval will now succeed Mayor John Cranley, who is retiring from the office due to term limits and vying for Ohio's Democratic nomination for governor next year. Pureval's opponent, Mann, who served as a city lawmaker and mayor, congratulated Pureval on his win.

"I have spoken with him and wish him nothing but the best, and it has been the honor of my lifetime to serve this community as a councilman, mayor, and member of congress throughout my career. Thank you, Cincinnati!" Mann tweeted.

Pureval wasn't only mayoral candidate making history on Tuesday. Michelle Wu became the first woman and first Asian American to be elected as mayor of Boston, which has historically only elected White men as mayor.