Candidate Spotlight: Judd Lofchie For Mayor Of Aurora

This Patch article is sponsored by Citizens for Lofchie.

Judd Lofchie is running for mayor of Aurora, Illinois. Learn more about Lofchie’s campaign, career and priorities in this exclusive Patch one-on-one:

Patch: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your campaign.

Lofchie: I am the alderman for the 10th Ward, an attorney, and a commercial real estate broker. I am running for Mayor for the City of Aurora. The Mayor of Aurora is elected to a four year term, and operates with “Mayor-Council” form of government. The mayor is elected separately from the council and has full budgetary responsibility.

Patch: What attracted you to politics, and how did you get started?

Lofchie: What attracted me to politics is the ability to help people, and improve the everyday lives of the citizens of Aurora. Since moving to Aurora 25 years ago, I have been serving the community as the past president of the Chamber of Commerce, through volunteer work with Hesed House, Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry and Simply Destinee (among others), and through the Rotary service clubs in Aurora. Serving in local politics is the next logical step for me.

Prior to moving to Aurora, I founded the non-profit StreetWise in Chicago in 1992. I had been concerned about the issue of homelessness for many years, and really wanted to try to come up with a sustainable solution. StreetWise provides the homeless population with an instant job, and access to a variety of services to help people out of homelessness. I’m proud that StreetWise is still going strong and has helped over 13,000 people! This is the type of creative problem solving I will encourage and provide as Mayor of Aurora.

Patch: How long have you lived in Aurora?

Lofchie: I moved to Aurora 25 years ago and established my business here. My legal and commercial real estate business is currently downtown Aurora at Broadway and Benton and I also have an office on the west side near Galena and Orchard Road. I chose Aurora because it was, and still is, a growing and diverse community with good public schools, and access to a wide variety of cultural and outdoor amenities. As Mayor, I would like to expand our cultural opportunities and horizons even further by offering more programs at River’s Edge Park, such as outdoor movie nights for families.

Operating my business on my own in Aurora, I felt there was an opportunity for other small business operators to learn from each other and solve problems together. So, in 2010, I founded Aurora Business United, the largest free networking group in the western suburbs. We have over 2,500 members! We meet monthly (on Zoom now) and provide free networking and educational opportunities to business people and entrepreneurs on a monthly basis. This is the type of collaboration we need more of in our city. We have a lot of talent in Aurora, and as mayor, I would create more opportunities for collaboration.

Patch: Tell us about your career and service in Aurora.

Lofchie: My service as an Alderman has been eye-opening. I’ve seen how careless the city is with taxpayer money, and how cronyism has flourished under the current administration. As Mayor of Aurora, I will improve the ethics ordinance and get big money out of local politics. Taxpayer money will go to the projects that have the best return to the residents of Aurora — and to the most qualified vendors at the most competitive price.

Patch: What distinguishes you from other candidates?

Lofchie: I am the only candidate that has the business experience and integrity that is critical to performing the job of Mayor.

Patch: If you were to be elected, what would some of your top priorities/policies/changes be?

Lofchie: I know that property taxes are the number one concern for our residents, and I promise to keep that as my number one concern as well.

Patch: What's the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you've faced during this election?

Lofchie: It has been uniquely challenging to run a campaign during the COVID pandemic. I’ve still been knocking on doors and canvassing neighborhoods, but I am very aware that some people are not comfortable coming to the door. As a result, I’ve been on the phone with residents a lot more, and communicating via email more than usual.

Patch: What's the most satisfying part about running in this election?

Lofchie: Talking to residents and learning about their concerns is the most satisfying part of running a campaign. After 25 years in Aurora, I feel a connection to the many neighborhoods — and especially the people — of Aurora. Whenever someone comes to me with a problem, I consider it a responsibility and a personal challenge to help find a solution — whether it’s as an Alderman, fellow Auroran, or a friend. This is a big part of why I am running for Mayor.