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Republican challenger Cory Bowman and Democratic incumbent Mayor Aftab Pureval faced off Wednesday night in a tense Local 12 broadcast that highlighted deep divisions over crime, housing, and the city’s handling of infrastructure funds.
The half-hour debate, hosted live on Local 12, gave voters their clearest look yet at how the two men would lead Cincinnati in the next four years.
Crime Takes Center Stage
During the Cincinnati Mayoral Debate, both candidates clashed most sharply over crime and public safety — a topic that hit home just days after gunfire on Fountain Square left two people injured in one of the city’s most visible public spaces.
On October 13, a confrontation that began in Clifton spilled into downtown, ending with shots fired through the window of CityBird restaurant on Fountain Square and injuring a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old. (WCPO, FOX19, WLWT)
The shooting was one of several violent incidents in recent weeks that have rattled downtown businesses and residents. Police have arrested a 24-year-old male suspect, already on probation, and a juvenile who attempted to discard a firearm after the shooting.
In response, Mayor Aftab Pureval and Police Chief Terri Theetge announced new steps to stabilize the city’s core: a daily SWAT and CDRT presence from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., an earlier curfew for unsupervised minors (moved from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m.), and increased enforcement of lower-level offenses before they escalate into violence. City officials also held a community town hall hosted by Greater Cincinnati Faith Leaders to address public concern.
The renewed attention on downtown safety has reignited frustration from Cincinnati’s business community. Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, released a statement calling for immediate, coordinated action from city leadership:
“Like so many community leaders and citizens, I am deeply frustrated not only by the violence that occurred on Fountain Square last night but also by the continued pattern of crime our city has experienced in recent months,” Ruby Miller said.
“Over the past three months, I have dedicated significant time meeting biweekly with the Mayor and staying in close communication with CPD, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Governor DeWine’s team, and Senators Moreno and Husted… I am hopeful that within the next 24 hours there will be an announcement outlining a robust strategy to address these ongoing issues.”
Her statement echoed what many downtown business owners have voiced privately: anxiety over the safety of employees, diners, and visitors. “Change only happens when the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change,” Ruby Miller concluded.
Against that backdrop, Cory Bowman used the debate stage to argue that City Hall’s response came far too late. “We’re three weeks out from an election and just now seeing aggressive strategies,” he said, pointing to police staffing shortages and “trickle-down incompetence from the top.”
Pureval, defending his record, said public safety has been and remains his “top priority,” emphasizing that the curfew and expanded police visibility are part of an evolving plan to restore confidence downtown. “Crime is a serious issue, and it requires serious solutions,” he said, adding that Cincinnati must “stay unified, not reactionary” in confronting violence.
Housing and Hyde Park Development
The debate’s sharpest policy clash centered on the Hyde Park Square development, a flashpoint in Cincinnati’s broader fight over growth, zoning, and neighborhood trust.
Mayor Aftab Pureval defended his administration’s handling of the project, saying its relaunch will involve “transparent, early engagement” with residents and tie into his broader goal of building 40,000 new housing units over the next decade. He argued that easing zoning restrictions and increasing density near transit and business corridors are essential steps toward addressing the city’s housing shortage.
Challenger Cory Bowman framed the issue as an example of government overreach, calling the city’s Connected Communities zoning reform a “Trojan horse” for City Hall to overrule neighborhood councils. “When 4,000 people sign a petition and you still vote against them, that’s not leadership,” he said.
The Hyde Park controversy stems from a proposal that would have allowed buildings up to 85 feet tall near the square—far exceeding the existing 50-foot limit—and included a boutique hotel and expanded commercial space. After widespread backlash, including petitions and protests from the Save Hyde Park Square group, council ultimately repealed the zoning change in September, forcing developers back to the drawing board. The developer has since offered 17 concessions, including removing the hotel and reducing building height to about 75 feet, though the project’s future remains uncertain. (WVXU, Signal Cincinnati)
At the heart of the dispute is the Connected Communities ordinance—adopted in mid-2024 as a citywide land-use reform meant to spur “missing-middle” housing near business districts. The law allows duplexes, triplexes, and four-unit buildings in previously single-family zones and relaxes parking and density restrictions to encourage infill development. Supporters call it a long-overdue modernization that will expand access to affordable housing and revitalize underused areas. Opponents argue it dilutes community control, undermines historic character, and gives developers too much leverage without firm affordability guarantees. (Cincinnati.gov, Frost Brown Todd)
Neighborhood leaders in Hyde Park say the issue isn’t development itself but scale and process. “We’re not anti-housing,” said one representative from Save Hyde Park Square in a letter to council. “We’re anti-being ignored.” The group argues that the mayor’s push for citywide zoning reform has eroded public trust and that the administration should start over with base zoning and genuine public dialogue.
Pureval, for his part, said Connected Communities is critical to Cincinnati’s long-term stability and argued that wealthier neighborhoods must also share in the city’s growth. “The housing crisis doesn’t end at neighborhood boundaries,” he said during the debate. “If we want our children to be able to afford to live here, we have to build.”
The Hyde Park showdown now stands as a microcosm of Cincinnati’s development dilemma: how to grow without losing the community identity that residents fought to preserve.
Potholes, City Spending & the Railway Sale
On infrastructure, Cory Bowman questioned how City Hall is managing infrastructure priorities and funds from the Cincinnati Southern Railway sale. “The sale of the railroad was never meant to be a shell game or a replacement for fixing infrastructure,” he said. “You can put a priority on speed bumps, but not potholes.”
Bowman’s remarks referenced the 2023 decision to sell the city-owned railway to Norfolk Southern, creating a $1.6 billion trust fund dedicated solely to infrastructure. He argued that the deal locks Cincinnati into a rigid structure that can’t keep up with inflation. A TRIP transportation report found that the cost to rehab one lane-mile in Cincinnati jumped 51% in a single year, now averaging $500,000, while more than half of the city’s major roads remain in “poor” or “mediocre” condition.
Mayor Aftab Pureval countered that his administration has doubled road repair budgets and is investing in automation and AI-driven repair technology. He attributed worsening potholes to climate change and shifting weather patterns, saying the city’s roads are under stress from more freeze-thaw cycles.
However, the TRIP report—cited by the city itself—does not identify climate change as a leading cause of road deterioration. It attributes pavement failure primarily to deferred maintenance, moisture infiltration, traffic stress, and rising material and labor costs, noting that every $1 in delayed maintenance adds $4–$5 in future repair costs.
The railway sale itself remains politically charged. The pro-sale campaign, Building Cincinnati’s Future, was funded entirely by Norfolk Southern, which contributed $4.25 million to the effort. A WCPO I-Team investigation by Dan Monk later found the campaign shared both a treasurer and media strategist with Pureval’s re-election committee. Pureval appeared in the group’s ads until WCPO pulled them after conflict-of-interest concerns were raised. City officials maintain no laws were broken, but the optics continue to dog his administration.
“Selling a city asset and blaming potholes on climate change might sound modern,” Bowman said after the debate, “but for most people driving to work, it just sounds disconnected from reality.”
Visions for the Future
Pureval closed by promoting his “serious, experienced leadership” and cited progress on the Brent Spence Bridge, downtown hotel redevelopment, and housing investments. “We need to continue building together as one city,” he said.
Bowman offered a starker contrast. “We are living in the vision of Aftab Pureval,” he said. “Crime is up, infrastructure is decaying, and city funds are going to friends and family.” He vowed to refocus on “safe, clean, and prosperous streets.”
