'Where did you get that ridiculous hat?' Only 2 candidates show up to NAACP mayoral debate

Yahoo

16-04-2025

A mayoral candidate's decision not to attend the Cincinnati NAACP's debate Tuesday evening dominated the early part of the event in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Bond Hill.
On the dais beside Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval and Republican challenger Brian Frank sat an empty chair and a microphone for Cory Bowman, a Republican mayor candidate, pastor and half-brother of Vice President JD Vance. Bowman told the civil rights organization he had a scheduling conflict and couldn't attend.
That left Pureval and Frank to spar before the dozens of people in the ballroom of the Community Action Agency.
While the debate was missing one candidate, it provided some entertaining moments, including an exchange where Pureval asked Frank where he got "that ridiculous hat." Frank has donned a large, black cowboy throughout his campaign.
Here are four highlights.
Cincinnati NAACP President David Whitehead announced to the crowd at the start of the evening that Bowman had an unspecified scheduling conflict.
"All three candidates have been invited," Whitehead said. "That's all we can do is invite. We can extend an invitation. We have two that thought it was important to adjust their schedules."
When asked why he didn't show up, Bowman, in a text to The Enquirer, didn't say what his scheduling conflict was.
"The Cincinnati NAACP extended an invitation to our team but created and posted the flyer before they confirmed I was available," Bowman said. "I informed them last week that due to prior commitments, I was unable to be present."
Bowman said he would "gladly commit to their forum" after the primary.
Pureval started the debate by thanking Frank for showing up.
"I want to thank Mr. Frank for showing up," Pureval said. "I think the first part of being mayor is to show up for your constituencies, no matter where they are."
It was the last cordial moment between Pureval and Frank in the debate.
The two fought over issues of federal funding, affordable housing, and infrastructure. Much like in the first mayoral debate sponsored by The Enquirer in West Price Hill, the issue of City Manager Sheryl Long became a tense point of contention between the two.
Toward the end of Tuesday's debate, moderator Treva Reid allowed the candidates to ask questions of each other. Reid is the executive director of the Holloman Center for Social Justice at the Urban League of Southwest Ohio.
Frank chose to ask Pureval about Long.
Frank, in interviews, public appearances and debates, has criticized Long's performance as a city manager. In an interview with the Cincinnati Business Courier on Feb. 25, Frank called Long a "DEI selection" and "incompetent." DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.
A month later, at The Enquirer's debate in West Price Hill, Frank apologized for the DEI hire comment but said he still finds her incompetent and would fire her.
He cited the incident when Long had her city-issued car stolen after she left her key fob in the car..
Frank, on Tuesday, accused Long of telling the cops who responded to her stolen vehicle to turn off their body cameras. He also claimed Long refused to testify against two people apprehended in the stolen vehicle. In the debate, Frank didn't cite his source for the accusations.
He asked the mayor if he was aware of these allegations.
Pureval said he wasn't.
"But I am aware of your obsession with Sheryl Long," Pureval said. "And it is the amount that you attack her personally, the amount that you call her a DEI hire, the fact that a Black woman in leadership offends you, I think, speaks volumes."
Then it was Pureval's turn to ask a question.
"My question to you would be, where did you get that ridiculous hat?" Pureval said, as laughter rippled through the crowd.
When Frank didn't respond right away, Pureval remarked, "Speechless."
The moderator gave Frank an opportunity to respond.
"I'm going to remain the adult in the room," Frank said. "I'm not going to debase myself by responding to that sort of question."
Pureval, as he introduced himself at the debate, criticized Frank's campaign slogan to "Make Cincinnati Great Again," characterizing it as backward thinking. Pureval said he's focused on the future.
Frank responded that when he says "Make Cincinnati Great Again," he means a time before the federal corruption charges that led to the resignations of three council members.
"And my point is, I'm not sure that that's the end of the corruption," Frank said. "I think that there could be more corruption down there."
Pureval said the city "has had challenges in the past," but Frank is not the solution to those challenges.
"I think emulating the President's slogan, and you know, and applying it to Cincinnati is offensive," Pureval said. "Making Cincinnati Great Again. Cincinnati is great right now."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Aftab Pureval and Brian Frank spar over city manager at NAACP debate