Eight file for six Aurora aldermanic seats

Eight candidates filed Monday for six Aurora aldermanic seats that will be up for grabs in the spring election.

The seats for the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th wards will be open, as well as one of the two at-large aldermanic positions.

Four of the eight hopefuls Monday were incumbents hoping to keep their seats. They were Rick Mervine in the 8th Ward; Richard C. Irvin for the at-large post; Ted Mesiacos in the 3rd Ward; and Michael B. Saville in the 6th Ward.

Mervine, whose ward is entirely in DuPage County, has been an alderman since 2008.

Irvin is finishing up his second aldermanic term.

"I feel like I can ... continue to do good for the city of Aurora," Irvin said.

If re-elected, he said he wants to continue working with the council to bring jobs to the city.

Besides the incumbents, four others filed for the 5th Ward seat: Steve Solarz, Carl Franco, Kevin Mathews and Deena Bess Sherman. The incumbent in that ward, John Peters, said he will not seek re-election.

Mayor Tom Weisner is not up for re-election.

If more than four people file for any one aldermanic seat, it will trigger the need for a February primary to narrow the field to no more than four in the April general election.