S2 Ep115: That's So Cincinnati: New Mayor Pureval talks White House visit, his request of Joe Biden, policing and priorities

When the invitation came to Aftab Pureval, who had just been elected Cincinnati mayor, to visit the White House late last year along with other new mayors he wasn't sure what to expect.

But Pureval went to the Dec. 14 meeting prepared, bringing with him a request for what he sees as Cincinnati's most pressing need from the federal government: A new Brent Spence Bridge.

He did pitch that project the White House to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Although first, as an aside (and Pureval gets this a lot), Biden complimented Pureval's hair.

Pureval talked about the White House visit on The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast during his first week on the job as mayor. He admits he was a little bit in awe and shared what he told President Biden and top administration officials.

"I'm sitting there with the mayor of Boston, of New York, of Atlanta, of Seattle and I'm just trying to play it cool," Pureval said. "I'm just trying to be like, 'Oh yeah, this is no big deal. We're in the Oval Office.' "

But to Pureval, the son of immigrants and Cincinnati's first Asian American mayor, it was a big deal. Biden and senior administration leaders stressed they wanted to work with local leaders, Pureval said.

"It was an inspiring experience," Pureval said. "But I was there to do work. So I made it very, very clear to the Biden administration and specifically to the vice president. I personally challenged her to ensure that the Brent Spence Bridge is a priority and that it's not just lip service because we've seen presidential candidate after presidential candidate do press conferences at the Brent Spence Bridge. We're tired of inaction and it's having a big impact."

No promises were made in return, but Pureval added: "I worked very hard to not just talk about it as a local project, but talk about it as a national project for interstate commerce."

In a wide-ranging podcast interview, Pureval also addressed questions about his agenda; what his style of leadership will be; and his stance on public safety.