AURORA, Ill. (WLS) — Incumbent Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and challenger John Laesch will face off in the April election.
One of the five candidates needed 50% of the vote to win the primary outright.
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No candidate received enough votes to secure a win, which means the top two contenders, Irvin and Laesch, will move on to the April 1 ballot. This information is based on the outcomes in DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties.
Irvin’s supporters gathered on Tuesday night for a watch party at his campaign headquarters.
Ted Mesiacos, Judd Lofchie and Karina Garcia were the other three candidates challenging him.
Illinois’ second largest city, Aurora, is divided between Kane, DuPage, Will, and Kendall counties.
John Laesch, who currently serves as Alderman-at-Large, has a background as a Navy veteran and former school board member. Having previously run for mayor, Laesch is actively canvassing neighborhoods, fully aware of the significance of each vote in the upcoming election.
“We are receiving a positive reception as we visit households,” noted Laesch. “We are also assisting individuals in locating early voting locations, a service that sets us apart from other campaigns. This strategy is positioning us favorably in terms of voter turnout.”
In office since 2017, Irvin has pointed to Aurora’s growing downtown as one reason why he deserves a third term.
“Now they’re full will market rate apartments. They’re full with retail and commercial,” Irvin said. “Every building in the core of our downtown that was empty when I took office, and they were many, they are all full.”
Cicero election
In Cicero, longtime Town President Larry Dominick is facing a challenge from Esteban Rodriguez on Tuesday.
With all precincts reporting, Dominick, is projected to win his race with 57% of the vote, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
Dominick is Cicero’s longest-serving town president.
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