Irvin loses Aurora mayoral race
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin appears to have lost his bid to win a third term as the leader of the state’s second-largest city.
Challenger John Laesch was upbeat in declaring victory shortly before 10 p.m.
“Tonight, the candle of hope burns a little brighter in our city our state and across the United States of America,” winner John Laesch said at his campaign party. "Nine months ago I told you that we would give birth to a radical new idea of a government, an economy, that works for everybody. Tonight we took a big step forward and we did it together.”
But Irvin remained defiant in a speech to his own supporters.
“This ain’t the end for me, y’all. This was just the beginning. I may not be the mayor of Aurora the next four years, but I am still somebody!” Irvin he told them.
Unofficial, incomplete returns, as of 10:03 p.m., showed Laesch had 9,188 votes to 8,374 for Irvin.
That’s based on returns posted by clerks in Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will counties.
It is the second time the two have faced off for mayor.
The battle was bitter from the start.
An Irvin supporter tried to have Laesch thrown off the ballot in November, accusing Laesch and candidates Jazmine Garcia and Karina Garcia of conspiring to force a primary election. In Aurora, if four or more people run for an office, a primary is required to whittle the field to two candidates.
The objector said the three had made a de facto political party, by helping each other gather signatures on their petitions. Laesch acknowledged doing so and said one reason he did so was to have Hispanic candidates on the ballot because of the city’s significant Hispanic population.
The attempt was unsuccessful. One of the candidates involved withdrew from the race a few days before the primary in February and threw her support to Laesch.
Laesch accused Irvin of conducting “pay-to-play” politics, citing contributions to Irvin’s campaign funds by businesses that ended up receiving contracts from the city. Irvin denied the allegation. He told the Chicago Tribune that developers and others who have projects in the city donated to his campaign because they want the city to “continue to move forward.”
Laesch formerly served on the East Aurora District 131 school board. He has been an alderman for two years.
Irvin was an alderman before becoming mayor.
In a television interview, Irvin called Laesch an unemployed carpenter who doesn’t know anything about running a city government. Laesch has often been the sole “no” vote on matters that come before the city council.
Laesch is a critic of one of the things Irvin has cited as one of his top accomplishments: arranging for the Hollywood Aurora Casino to move off the Fox River and onto a site near I-88.
The mayor lobbied to change state law to allow a land-based casino, and said the move was needed to increase casino business, which has been in decline for two decades.
The city has borrowed $58 million to lend money to the casino for its construction. It also gave the land to the casino. The loan will be repaid by property taxes collected in a tax-increment financing district created for the site; if not enough are generated, the casino owner is required to make up the difference. Laesch was not on the council when the deal was approved, but spoke against it many times.