Incumbent Saville has commanding lead in Aurora Ward 6 primary
Longtime Aurora Ward 6 Alderman Mike Saville will get to be on the April 4 ballot, receiving 57% of the vote in Tuesday's primary, according to unofficial returns.
With all 13 precincts reporting, Saville had 296 votes, according to the Kane County clerk.
Benjamin Marcum was in second place, with 95 votes. Nicole Mullins had 67, Matthew Orr had 51 votes, and Matt Harrington had 16 votes.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the April 4 consolidated election.
However, 166 vote-by-mail ballots are outstanding as of Tuesday evening, according to County Clerk Jack Cunningham. So who ends up with the second spot on the ballot remains to be seen.
Those ballots can be counted through March 14, as long as they were postmarked by Feb. 28. Provisional ballots can also be counted through March 14.
Voter turnout was 6.72%.
Saville has been the ward's alderman for 38 years.
Harrington, Marcum and Mullins said, in a Daily Herald interview, that was too long. Harrington and Marcum questioned Saville's effectiveness in getting economic development in the ward, particularly along North Lake Street (Route 31), a gateway to the city.
Saville cited his experience as a strength, and he disagreed that the city has paid less attention to economic development in the 6th Ward than that in other wards.
Harrington has run before for alderman. Orr ran unsuccessfully for alderman in 2019; he is now vice chairman of the Aurora Public Library board.
Marcum disagreed with Orr, Mullins and Harrington, who all said the city should do more to increase the amount of affordable housing in the city in general and in the ward.
And Mullins said Saville should have done more to communicate with ward residents, including using social media and having town-hall meetings.
Harrington criticized Orr, who is 25, for living with his parents, saying the city council didn't need children on it and Orr should come back when he owns property. Harrington also said he wants an independent inspector general to investigate corruption he alleges is happening with city officials.