An Aurora electoral board’s decision to keep a mayoral candidate on the ballot in the upcoming election could hinge on the candidate’s economic interest statement.
That is one of the main questions about the nominating petitions filed by Karina Garcia for the April 2025 mayoral election.
Garcia, the CEO of the Aurora Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was one of six candidates who filed petitions in October to run for mayor in the city election. Because six candidates filed, as it stands now, there would be a primary in February.
The candidates are: Mayor Richard Irvin, the incumbent; Ald. Ted Mesiacos, 3rd; Ald. John Laesch, at large; Judd Lofchie; Karina Garcia; and Jazmine Garcia.
A campaign worker for Irvin filed objections to petitions from Laesch, Karina Garcia and Jazmine Garcia.
The city electoral board, made up of City Clerk Jennifer Stallings, Ald. Michael Saville, 6th, who is the alderman with the most seniority, and Ald. Juany Garza, 2nd, who has the second most seniority, heard the petition objections regarding Laesch and Jazmine Garcia Monday.
On Wednesday, they heard the objections to Karina Garcia’s petitions.
The common objection to all three candidates’ petitions is that they each circulated each other’s petitions. John Fogarty, attorney for the objector, said by cooperating like that, they created a de facto political party, which would be against election law for a non-partisan election.
“It’s an unusual situation, and it eases the spectre of a straw candidate, someone put on the ballot for reasons other than to be elected, for some other purpose,” Fogarty said.
In this case, that purpose was to force a primary, he said.
Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, attorney for Karina Garcia, said the three were “working together to give Aurora a choice.”
“It doesn’t mean she is a weak candidate, she is a strong candidate,” Krafthefer said. “That’s why she’s being targeted here.”
Members of the electoral board have yet to rule on the propriety of collecting petitions for each other. They are due to rule on Nov. 25. .
But the question that might determine whether Karina Garcia is on the ballot or not has to do with her economic interest statement.
It is required of all public officials and candidates for office. A candidate is required to file the statement with the County Clerk’s office then bring a receipt to the City Clerk’s office when filing petitions for local office.
Both sides agreed Karina Garcia did that. But Fogarty said in doing so, she wrote on the line labeled “job title” her current job as CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
He said a candidate must file an economic interest statement for the office they seek, and should have put mayor of Aurora on the job title line. Therefore, she did not file a proper economic interest statement.
“Failure to file economic interest is fatal to a candidacy,” he said. “The election law is clear.”
Krafthefer said Karina Garcia did file the economic interest and provide the receipt to the City Clerk. On Krafthefer’s advice, Karina Garcia did file a second one on Nov. 9 to clear up the situation. While that was after the deadline, it did show that her economic interest had not changed, and satisfied “the spirit” of the law.
The Electoral Board did dismiss two other points raised by the objector: That Karina Garcia did not use her proper name in filing for the ballot, and that she did not use her proper address.
While the decision will be made Nov. 25 for the mayoral petition objections, there are hearings Friday morning before the electoral board for two more objections, both to aldermanic candidates.
One complaint was filed against Jose Torres, a candidate for 4th Ward alderman, alleging Torres did not have enough valid signatures.
The other objection was filed by Ald. Brandon Tolliver to the petitions of one of the candidates challenging him in the 7th Ward, Saul Fultz III. Tolliver said his challenge is that Fultz did not turn in enough signatures.
slord@tribpub.com
