Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot on the 100 day mark of Donald Trump’s presidency. Video by Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Democratic Party prodigy Aftab Pureval is off and running on his congressional campaign – and the Republicans seem to be running scared.
The Hamilton County clerk of courts on Wednesday officially announced he'll challenge longtime Republican incumbent Steve Chabot in Ohio's red-leaning 1st Congressional District, spanning western Hamilton County and all of Warren County.
Pureval, 35, did so amid much fanfare at packed events in North Avondale and Lebanon as energetic supporters hope he can knock off an 11-term congressman.
The announcement immediately triggered what's expected to be an intense, 11-month dogfight.
Related: Could Pureval upset Chabot? See why it's possible
Pureval linked Chabot to President Donald Trump in an engaging kickoff speech. Chabot then released a three-paragraph statement, attacking Pureval on where he lives, his position on abortion and his lack of political experience.
That doesn't seem like a big deal, but let's just say Chabot didn't release any statements after Rabbi Robert Barr declared his candidacy.
Here are three takeaways from Day 1 of a race that's expected to draw national attention:
1. Pureval's residency is being questioned.
Is he a carpetbagger? He owns a house in Hyde Park, outside the 1st Congressional District. Pureval told reporters Wednesday he "recently" moved into the district, but he would not say exactly when he moved.
"I actually do live in the district," Pureval said. "My fiancée and I live Downtown. More to the point, I’ve been living and working in Cincinnati for nearly a decade."
Chabot is a native West Sider, and his campaign questioned whether Pureval has actually moved.
“On the very day he announced he was running, he lied about something as basic as where he lives," said Cody Rizzuto, Chabot's campaign spokesman. "His website claims he lives Downtown, but in reality he lives in a $400,000 mansion in Hyde Park, which isn’t even in the district. Perhaps he needs an escort to show him around town."
Politics Extra checked the Hamilton County auditor's website site. In 2015, Pureval bought a 2,277-square-foot house – hardly mansion-sized – for $414,250.
PX also checked elections records. Turns out, Pureval changed his voter registration address to the new Downtown residence on Tuesday. The Board of Elections processed the address change at 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to records. That was an hour before Pureval made his announcement.
There is no requirement for a congressional candidate to live in the district.
But residency was an issue in a Georgia congressional special election last year, a race many viewed as a referendum on Trump's first months in office. Democrat Jon Ossoff didn't live in the district. His Republican opponent repeatedly dogged Ossoff on the residency issue, and the rising Democratic star narrowly lost.
In the end, will Chabot's residency message resonate? Or will voters see it as him grasping? After all, it appears Pureval now lives in the district. It's also worth mentioning: Pureval already serves the Hamilton County portion of the district as clerk of courts.
2. A message for women and minorities.
To have a shot at winning, political watchers believe, Pureval will need strong support from suburban women and minority voters.
Democrats keep talking about the midterms being "the year of the woman." The party hopes female voters feel disenfranchised and repulsed by Trump's past lewd behavior and comments toward women and will vote Democrat.
Minorities make up 30 percent of the residents in the 1st Congressional District, according to an Enquirer analysis of U.S. Census data. That's the highest proportion of non-white residents among the 12 Republican-controlled districts in Ohio.
More: Who is Aftab? Fast-rising star, Dems say
It's easy to see how Pureval could appeal to both women and minorities. His mother is Tibetan-American and his late father was Indian-American. He's young, polished, charismatic, handsome.
Pureval hammered Trump and Chabot for their opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Pureval then mentioned three women in the audience and told brief stories about their struggles with equal pay or a lack of access to adequate healthcare coverage for their children.
"This is what I promise to all of you: I will stand and side with working families," Pureval said. "I will always stand up for people in communities who are marginalized by Donald Trump and Steve Chabot – women and children, people of color, because in our America, no one gets left behind."
3. Where Pureval stands on abortion.
Abortion and other social issues aren't a big deal in a clerk of courts race. But it's a much different story in a congressional race. Congress calls most of the shots on abortion laws and funding.
Pureval is a pro-choice advocate. In December, he posted a photo on Facebook of himself and now-outgoing Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards and called her a "personal hero of mine."
"I firmly believe that it’s not the government’s place to stand in the way of a doctor and a woman when she’s making health care decisions," Pureval told reporters. "I think a lot of people in this district believe that, too.”
Watch: 'Aftab!' duck to quack on local TV
Warren County has some of the most outspoken pro-life advocates in the state. Chabot has a strong pro-life record, having been the main sponsor of legislation in 2003 to ban partial-birth abortions. He also has a track record of making a big deal about abortion on the campaign.
"He’s probably the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for this seat," Rizzuto, Chabot's spokesman, said of Pureval. "With no knowledge or understanding of the people in the district, Aftab mistakenly thinks he can sell Nancy Pelosi’s liberal agenda to the voters, but they won’t buy it."
Politics Extra is a column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics. Follow Enquirer political columnist Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy and send email to jwilliams@enquirer.com.