Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin to face at least two challengers in 2025 election
Editor’s note: An earlier version of the story misspelled an alderman’s name.
It’s official now: Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is seeking a third term and will face at least two opponents in the 2025 election.
He and Alderman-at-Large John Laesch and 3rd Ward Alderman Ted Mesiacos filed their petitions for the position on Monday morning, the first day candidates could submit them.
More than a dozen others also filed petitions Monday morning for the 1st, 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th and alderman-at-large seats. All are four-year terms, except for the 1st Ward.
Fourth Ward candidates included Jeff Hansford, Jose Torres and Jonathan Nuñez.
Hugo Saltijeral and incumbent Dan Barreiro filed for the two-year Ward 1 seat.
Alfonso Santoyo is seeking the 2nd Ward seat, as is incumbent Juany Garza.
Alderman-at-large Ron Woerman filed to keep his seat. Keith Larson is also seeking the seat.
For Ward 7, incumbent Brandon Tolliver, Javier Banuelos and Alex Arroyo filed petitions. Tolliver was appointed to the council when Alderman Scheketa Hart-Burns died in June 2023. Arroyo is a member of the East Aurora District 131 school board.
Alderman Shweta Baid is seeking her second term representing the 10th Ward.
Giovanni Santana filed for Ward 9, the seat held by Edward Bugg, who announced he is seeking re-election.
All candidates in line at 8 a.m. when the clerk’s office opened are considered to have filed at the same time. A lottery will determine the order their names appear on the ballot.
Petitions are due at the end of the day on Oct. 28.
If more than four candidates file petitions for an office, a primary election will be conducted in February to reduce the field.
Elgin
One incumbent and three challengers arrived early Monday at city hall to file their nominating petitions for the four available Elgin City Council seats.
Diana Alfaro, Maggie Beyer, Cecilia Brooks and incumbent Steve Thoren turned in their paperwork Monday with the city clerk. The 4-year seats currently are held by Corey Dixon, Dustin Good, Carol Rauschenberger and Thoren.
Rauschenberger said that she will not seek reelection.
“It’s definitely time for a younger generation, a generation that has a stake in what’s happening in 10, 20, 30 years with climate change, water access and the housing situation,” she said.
Alfaro ran for council in 2023, finishing fifth in a 10-candidate field for four seats. She works for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as Latinx Business Development Manager.
Beyer is a retired administrator who worked in the medical field. She works with Elgin Township and is president-elect of the Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club. Brooks, 24, works in sales and has lived in Elgin for about a year.
Thoren was elected to one of four available seats in 2021, finishing with the third most votes of 11 candidates.
Campton Hills
In Campton Hills, Terese Hopfensperger, Kimberly Muhr and incumbents Michael Millette and Tom Williams filed for the three 4-year trustee seats available. Incumbent Ed Muncie filed for a 2-year seat.