AURORA, IL — Challenger John Laesch is projected to win the Aurora mayoral race, beating incumbent Richard Irvin, according to unofficial election tallies from Tuesday's consolidated election.
Irvin, who sought a third term as mayor of Illinois's second-largest city, conceded defeat to the alderman-at-large, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.
“We fought hard. We fought long. Unfortunately, we came up short,” Irvin said at his campaign’s watch party at 1 E. Benton St. in downtown Aurora, per the Tribune.
The 2025 election was a rematch for Irvin and Laesch, who ran against each other and Judd Lofchie in a three-way race in 2021. Four years ago, Irvin won with an almost 56 percent lead.
In 2023, Laesch was elected as an alderperson-at-large on the City Council.
RELATED: Richard Irvin, John Laesch Vie For Aurora Mayor: 2025 Election
Take a look at unofficial tallies from the clerk's offices in Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall counties.
As of 10:20 p.m., all precincts are reporting in Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall counties. Laesch took the lead in all four counties.
Here's the breakdown of votes by county:
Kane
DuPage
Will
Kendall
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Aurora, IL Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.