Clerk of Courts generational contest: Winkler vs. Pureval

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) - A number of Hamilton County offices are among the most contested in 2016.

One of those is for Clerk of Courts and Local 12 political analyst Dan Hurley said it is one of the most revealing. When it comes to Hamilton County politics, the Winkler name is golden. Tracy Winkler, the incumbent Clerk of Courts, would seem to have an overwhelming advantage.

But her opponent is not only a first time candidate but has an unusual name, which he has tried to turn to his advantage; Aftab Pureval.

The race pits the baby boomers against the millennials, the establishment vs. the future, with technology standing in for the differences.

Aftab Pureval (D), the challenger, said, “We just haven't invested money in technology to make our courts accessible and efficient. Our website is a prime example. We have gone through seven generations of iPhones, but our website looks like it is running on Windows 95.”

Tracy Winkler (R), the incumbent, said, “We have not gone ahead and made those documents accessible and the reason why is that redaction software is not 100% accurate. Over the last few days I have gotten information from the Clerk of Courts concerned about data mining, and then we had this huge Yahoo breach.”

Other counties have figured this out. But for whatever reason Hamilton County is stuck in the past relying on antiquated notions. For a Democratic party that is committed to growing young talent, whether or not he wins, it’s Pureval's chance to stake a claim to future opportunities.

Hurley will be examining issues and candidates each day in the week leading up to the election.