Aurora mayoral candidate Jazmine Garcia dropped out of the race on Monday and threw her support to another candidate, John Laesch.
Garcia said she quit because it was “necessary to ensure that our mission for an honest, accountable and corruption-free government continues in the strongest possible way,” according to a video posted on Facebook.
Laesch, who is an alderman-at-large, is running against Mayor Richard Irvin; Karina Garcia; Alderman Ted Mesiacos; and former alderman Judd Lofchie, in the Feb. 25 primary.
The top two vote-getters will move on to the April 1 consolidated election.
Laesch, Garcia and Karina Garcia have supported each other, including circulating nomination petitions for each other. An Irvin backer tried to get them removed from the ballot, charging that they had formed a de facto political party and had conspired together to force a primary. The election is nonpartisan.
Laesch said in November that they did want a primary. Asked why he was supporting two opponents, he said having Garcia and Karina Garcia on the ballot “allows a broader group of Aurora residents to be reached during the election cycle because more than 40% of Aurora’s population is Latinx, and it is important they be represented during this mayoral fight.”
Early voting began Jan. 16.
