Aftab Pureval wins Cincinnati mayoral race: All about his background, religion, family, and net worth
Pureval had shown a strong public backing earlier this year by securing more than 80 percent of the vote in the all-party municipal primary held in May
Democrat Aftab Karma Singh Pureval won re-election as mayor of Cincinnati on Tuesday, defeating Cory Bowman, a Republican who is the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance.
According to news agency Associated Press (AP), although the position is officially nonpartisan, Pureval is aligned with the Democratic Party.
Pureval had shown a strong public backing earlier this year by securing more than 80 per cent of the vote in the all-party municipal primary held in May. He was a special assistant US attorney and first claimed the mayor’s office in 2021 after winning nearly 66% of the vote.
Aftab Pureval: Background
Aftab Pureval was born on 9 September 1982, in Xenia, Ohio, to immigrant parents, Punjabi father Devinder Singh Pureval and Tibetan mother Drenko. When he was four years old, his family moved to nearby Beavercreek.
According to his official website, Pureval's parents bestowed names that were imbued with the histories and cultures of each of them. With the hope of their new American life, they named their son after the old Persian word for “sunshine” – Aftab.
Aftab Pureval: Family
Aftab Pureval is married to Whitney Whitis, a doctor of internal medicine at Bethesda North Hospital. The couple has two sons – Bodhi and Rami.
Aftab Pureval: Education and political career
Aftab Pureval was enrolled at The Ohio State University, where he studied political science before earning his law degree from the University of Cincinnati.
In law school, Aftab worked with the UC Domestic Violence Clinic, representing survivors of abuse who couldn’t afford an attorney in the Warren County Domestic Relations Court.
In September 2012, Pureval worked as a special assistant US attorney for the United States Department of Justice. He began his political career in 2015 in his race for Hamilton County Clerk of Courts.
Aftab Pureval: Religion
Aftab Pureval comes from a mix of Punjabi and Tibetan backgrounds. Pureval was born to a Punjabi father from India and a Tibetan refugee mother.
This implies influences from religious traditions such as Sikhism or Hinduism on his Indian side and Tibetan Buddhism on his mother’s side.
However, his practised religion is not publicly specified.
Aftab Pureval Net Worth
According to multiple media reports, Aftab Pureval's net worth as of 2025 is estimated to be around $1 million. His salary as the mayor of Cincinnati, which is not extensively disclosed, accounts for a significant portion of his net worth.