More than two dozen candidates have filed petitions for the six Aurora City Council seats up for election on April 6, a development that could force February primary elections and will be the first test of Mayor John Laesch’s campaign‑finance ethics reform package, the Chicago Tribune reported.
In the 5th Ward, eight individuals are vying for the seat currently held by Alderman Carl Franco, who announced in July that he will not seek reelection. The filing list includes Sandra Schmitt, Kendala Coleman, Rani Esposito, Miguel A. Diaz Jr., Sharron Mayes, Andrea Jones, Deena Sherman and Emmanuel S. Llamas. Esposito disclosed she works as an educator in West Aurora District 129, while Llamas, who resigned from the 1st Ward in 2024 to care for his father, chairs the ballot‑initiative committee pushing for a city‑manager form of government.
At‑large Alderman Will White, appointed in May 2025, faces five challengers for his first election. The challengers are David E. Smith Jr., Judd Lofchie, Guillermo Rodriguez, Alex Arroyo and Charmaine Petersen. Smith is the founder of At Risk Mentoring, a youth and family community center. Lofchie previously served as alderman of the 10th Ward and has run for mayor several times. Rodriguez, endorsed by the West Suburban Democrat Socialists of America, has been active opposing a mayoral recall referendum and a proposed city‑manager referendum. Arroyo sits on the Kane County Board and has served on the East Aurora School District 131 Board of Education. Petersen is a dance teacher who owns The Dream School of Dance in Fox Valley Mall and volunteers with the nonprofit Color of Excellence.
Incumbent council members Daniel Barreiro (1st Ward), Theodoros “Ted” Mesiacos (3rd Ward), Michael Saville (6th Ward) and Patty Smith (8th Ward) have all filed for reelection. Barreiro will be challenged by Hugo Saltijeral Sr., executive director of the Valley Sheltered Workshop and member of Gov. JB Pritzker’s task force on employment for people with disabilities. Mesiacos faces Arriana Dallmann, a 14‑year resident with a master’s degree in criminal justice from Aurora University who has worked with Hesed House, the ACLU and local political campaigns. In the 8th Ward, Smith could contend with Ali Kazmi, Ghousia Wajid, Tony Michelassi and Jennifer Pazos. Kazmi emphasizes keeping the ward safe and thriving, while Wajid serves on Aurora’s Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The city’s election rules state that if more than four candidates file valid nominating petitions for a given office, a February primary must be held, with the top two vote‑getters advancing to the April ballot. City Clerk Jennifer Stallings noted that all filings were accepted between Oct. 19 and the deadline on Monday, and that objections to petitions may still be filed.
What’s next: If any of the six races attract more than four qualified candidates, the city will schedule a primary election in February 2026. Voters will then cast their final ballots on April 6, when they will also see how Mayor Laesch’s newly adopted campaign‑finance ethics reforms perform in a real‑world election setting.
Sources: chicagotribune.com
