The mayoral race in Aurora, Illinois’ second most populous city, looked to narrow down to two candidates after Tuesday’s primary, with Mayor Richard Irvin and at-large Ald. John Laesch apparently on their way to a runoff election in April.
With most precincts reporting in Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall counties, Irvin and Laesch had far outpaced the other three candidates. In Kane County, Irvin had 37.5% of the vote, compared to Laesch with 31.2%.
Irvin served on the Aurora City Council for a decade before being elected mayor in 2017 with about 56% of the vote, winning again in 2021 with 54.1%. During his failed bid for governor in 2022, he touted the success of businesses in the city and declining crime rates — though crime rates fluctuated during his tenure — as reflections of his leadership.
Along with Laesch, Irvin’s challengers Tuesday were: Ald. Ted Mesiacos (3rd), former 10th Ward alderperson Judd Lofchie, and Karina Garcia, president of the Aurora Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Lofchie and Laesch lost to Irvin in the 2021 mayoral race, each winning less than half the 54.17% Irvin garnered.