9 Candidates Running To Represent 5 Wards On Aurora City Council: Election 2023

AURORA, IL — In Tuesday's consolidated election, nine candidates are running to become alderpersons for five of Aurora's 10 wards. One alderman-at-large position is also up for reelection.

Only one alderman, Emmanual Llamas, who serves Ward 1, is running unopposed in the election.

Here's a look at the candidates running for alderperson at large and alderperson for wards 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8.

Alderperson at Large

Sherman Jenkins was appointed alderman at large in 2017 before he was elected to a four-year term two years later. He seeks reelection Tuesday and is challenged by John Laesch and Mansa Lathan Williams.

While alderman at large, Sherman helped foster the development of Aurora's first downtown master plan; established Invest Aurora, an economic development partnership by working with businesses, developers and investors; and led a negotiating team to acquire the Chicago Premium Outlets.

An author, Jenkins serves as president of SLJ Communications, a digital media company. His work extends beyond alderman at large as he has served as executive director and assistant director of the Aurora Economic Development Commission beginning in 1991 until his retirement in 2012.

If reelected, his goals include encouraging more investment in Aurora's mature neighborhoods, supporting more programs that help at-risk youth, advocating for bringing good-paying jobs to Aurora, and pushing for partnerships with different taxing bodies to help lower taxes for residents.

An Aurora resident since 2008, Laesch has experience serving on the East Aurora School District 131 Board of Education, a position he held from 2015 to 2019. He was "one of the early voices" that supported getting buses for students and hiring a long-term superintendent after two years of interim.

Laesch, who works as a union carpenter, is a BPI-certified energy auditor and envelope specialist. He served in the United States Navy as an intelligence analyst in the Middle East from 1995 to 1999.

He said he's running for the position because he is "tired of seeing wealthy campaign donors drive the agenda in city hall while the concerns of Aurora taxpayers are ignored."

In the role, he would work to modernize Aurora by having publicly owned high-speed broadband, capitalize renewable energy credits, attract better-paying jobs and work toward a "more representative government," according to his campaign.

By running for alderperson at large, Williams hopes to appeal to millennials, women and senior citizens.

A West Aurora High School alum, Williams works in strategic human resources consulting to help organizations, including Intel, Tesla and Poshmark, provide safe and inclusive work cultures.

His goal is to "bring the best of what [Miami, Manhattan, Portland and the San Francisco area] has to offer and establish [Aurora] as a Tech Hub and Destination City."

The biggest challenge facing Aurora is what will replace the casino in the heart of downtown, according to his campaign website. His solution would be to bring in something that generates revenue and helps build community.

"We have the opportunity to make Aurora a Destination City and I pray you spread this good news, but first we must be vigilant in not making the same economic investment blunders that we have in the past," he said.

Ward 1

Emmanuel S. Llamas, an incumbent, is running unopposed in the Ward 1 race. Born and raised in this ward, which encompasses a portion of northeast Aurora, he was first elected alderperson in 2019, becoming the youngest alderman in Council's history.

Llamas is a practicing attorney who began his legal career at an Aurora firm before co-founding his own practice in 2021. With Llamas St. Jules, LLP, he serves the legal needs of local businesses and families.

Ward 3

Olynda M. De Hoyos is looking to unseat incumbent Theodoros "Ted" Mesiacos for Ward 3 alderperson.

A 21-year resident of Ward 3, on Aurora's near east side, De Hoyos's campaign outlines her plan to drive economic development, work with small businesses to create growth opportunities, bolster community safety initiatives and help Aurora get access to high-speed fiber optic internet.

"Opportunity and inclusion continue to make Aurora special. ... When elected, I'll make public safety a priority," she said in a promotional video. "I'll work to attract small businesses so Aurora can lower taxes."

The East Aurora High School and Aurora University alumna has volunteered at various organizations throughout the community, including Hesed House, and works in consumer finance to help people become financially stable.

Mesiacos, a self-employed architect, was first elected to Ward 3 in 2013 and has held the position since.

The incumbent has three goals if reelected: keep residents safe, continue revitalizing the city's neighborhoods and support infrastructure improvements, according to reports from the Daily Herald.

"The city needs to start some budgetary belt-tightening," he told the publication, adding that rising inflation and costs are the most pressing issue. "The city is also experiencing some mission creep and duplication of youth and senior services. Because of that, I voted against our most recent tax levy and budget. I was the only Alderman to do so."

In city government, Mesiacos has also been a member of the Aurora Plan Commission, the Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals and the Rotary Club of Aurora. He currently serves on the Fermilab Community Advisory Board and is a member of Congressman Bill Foster's Immigration Advisory Committee.

Ward 5

In Ward 5, Carl Franco is seeking reelection and facing a challenge from David Cannon.

Franco, who has lived in Ward 5 since 1989, was first elected alderperson in 2015 and voted in for a second term in 2019. He was unanimously elected mayor pro tempore by City Council, allowing him to exercise the mayor's authority in case of his absence, vacancy from office or disability.

His top three priorities if reelected are infrastructure, crime prevention and serving the homeless population, according to reports the Daily Herald. He cited the community's safety as the most serious issue Aurora will face in the coming years.

Franco spent more than 30 years working for the Federal Aviation Administration at the Air Traffic Control Center in Aurora until his retirement in 2015.

Cannon, a marketing financial analyst, is looking to unseat Franco as Ward 5 alderperson. He got involved in Aurora politics when the city made plans to move Hollywood Casino from downtown to a site near the Chicago Premium Outlets, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune.

If elected, his priority is to get input from residents on big City Hall decisions, foster community on the city's west side, and seek public feedback on what to do with vacant buildings, he told the Tribune.

Ward 6

Longtime Ward 6 Alderman Michael Saville is running for reelection in Tuesday's race, and challenger Benjamin Marcum is looking to unseat him. The two were the top vote-getters out of five candidates in the Feb. 28 primary election.

Saville was first appointed to the position in 1985 before he was elected to serve his first four-year term in 1987. He has since been reelected every four years. He became active in Aurora when he was appointed to the Aurora Planning Commission in 1980, a position he served in until 1985.

The founder of the annual City of Lights Ukulele Festival in downtown Aurora, Saville currently serves as the chairperson of the Building, Zoning and Economic Development and as a member of the Public Health, Safety and Transportation Committee.

"Safety and safe neighborhoods are always a concern," he told the Chicago Tribune. "People want to make sure crime continues to fall as it's doing now, and people want a safe place to live and raise a family and go to and from work. They want to make sure neighborhoods are safe and maintained."

If he wins the election, Marcum, who works in constituent services, plans to work on increasing services for seniors and people with disability and increase Hispanic participation in the ward, according to reports from the Tribune.

An Aurora native, Marcum said Aurora's government can do more for its people, and he's running because he's "passionate about continuing to transform Aurora into a place that no one wants to leave and everyone wants to move to," he said in a letter.

Ward 8

To incumbent Patty Smith, an Aurora resident since 1990, the most pressing issue facing Aurora is the "extreme undercount of residents" in the 2020 census, she told the Daily Herald.

"Some of the programs census funding supports are local prevention programs such as child abuse prevention and mental health," she said. "Funding for our hospitals, roads, bridges, public works, our schools, public transportation, wildlife, and housing assistance for the elderly and disabled are all tied to census data. I support and advocate executing a special census for Aurora so that we can reclaim those tax dollars to continue to offer the necessary community services needed in the City of Aurora."

Before becoming an alderwoman, she worked as a paralegal for Prairie State Legal Services where she helped low-income residents in central Illinois receive free legal services. Currently, she works as a real estate agent.

Her volunteer experience extends to organizations across Aurora, including as director of Indian Prairie Education Foundation, chairwoman of National Association for Down Syndrome West Suburban Chapter, board member at Gigi’s Playhouse Fox Valley, and board member at the Oakhurst homeowners association.

She's being challenged by Gautam Bhatia, a resident since 2008. One of the reasons he's running is to bring checks and balances to City Council, he said on his campaign website.

He said City Council needs an alderperson who will beaccountable, stand up to the administration, be transparent and not accept donations from companies doing business with the city.

Bhatia works in information technology and owns a small business in the city. His experience includes serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission, Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board, Interfaith Aurora, Aurora Business United, and Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.

"It gives me great pleasure to volunteer in our community to make the world a more connected, diverse & safe place," he said. "Over the past decade, I have built strong relations with state and local government officials, community leaders & business owners. This experience has led me to where I am today."