Richard Irvin and Rick Guzman are expected to face each other in the April 4 race for mayor of Aurora, after coming out on top in a four-way primary Tuesday, according to unofficial vote totals.
Irvin, 57, an Aurora alderman at large, finished on top of the Tuesday primary with 32.3 percent of the vote, and Guzman, Aurora assistant chief of staff, finished second with 28.8 percent. They both outdistanced State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, who had 24.9 percent of the vote, and Alderman Michael Saville, 6th Ward, who had 13.9 percent, according to preliminary totals from the Aurora Election Commission and the DuPage Board of Elections.
"My message resonated with the voters and I believe it will continue to resonate," Irvin said late Tuesday.
Guzman declined to declare his victory, largely because about 1,200 early votes at the Aurora Election Commission had not been counted.
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"We’re cautiously optimistic and extremely grateful for the thousands of people who voted today," Guzman said.
Irvin is making his third bid for mayor. He has called for reinstating the city’s Economic Development Commission and the need to develop an economic plan for each ward, not just for downtown.
He favors community-oriented policing and being "proactive instead of reactive" in fighting crime. Part of his crime-fighting platform includes hiring 10 to 11 more police officers to replace those laid off in the past, and he wants to make sure the 911 system is fully staffed.
Guzman has campaigned on an economic development plan that calls for Aurora to market itself better and has called for development of "strategic retail corridors" throughout the city, outside of downtown. He also wants to redo the city’s comprehensive plan.
Guzman also proposed a program he calls "Aurora First" that would give preference to local contractors, and would limit the use of joint purchasing contracts with other governmental agencies so the city would pursue more local vendors.
He also made a commitment to community-oriented policing, and said he would put more police officers on the street by having civilians take some desk jobs at the Police Department.
slord@tribpub.com
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