On an election day that saw two incumbents voted out of office and another win an historic 12th term, there was plenty of drama to satisfy even the most ardent political junkie.
In Aurora, incumbent Mayor Richard Irvin, who ran unsuccessully for governor in the middle of his second term, was denied a third by Alderman John Laesch, a candidate who had made three unsuccessful runs (2 for Congress, one for mayor in 2021) before winning an alderman’s seat in 2023. Irvin, despite successful efforts to revitalize Aurora’s downtown and increase public safety, lost 52.5% to 47.5% according to unofficial tallies. He conceded late Tuesday.
In St. Charles, Former Kane County Chief Judge Clint Hull appears to have scored a resounding victory over incumbent Mayor Lora Vitek, garnering nearly 59% of the total vote according to unofficial tallies. While Kane County Clerk John Cunningham stated that there remain approximately 1,000 mail-in votes to be counted countywide, Hull’s margin is almost certainly too large to overcome. Vitek bows out after one term.
In Batavia, it was a different story, with the seemingly eternal mayor, incumbent Jeff Schielke winning a record 12th term as mayor. Schielke won by 326 votes out of roughly 4,900 cast, being returned to the office he has held since 1981.
In another tight race, Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns leads political newcomer Karsten Pawlik in a squeaker, 2,945 to 2,827 in unofficial tallies. Burns, who trailed Pawlik for much of the evening, is seeking his 7th term as mayor of Geneva. Given the fairly thin margin of 118 votes, the final outcome will likely not be determined until mail-in ballots are counted in the coming days.
