Aaron Del Mar is running for Illinois lieutenant governor as the Republican candidate in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is running as Darren Bailey's running mate on the Republican ticket, according to his campaign's account on X.

Del Mar faces Democratic candidate Christian L. Mitchell and independent candidate Carolyn Schofield in the race. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

Party: Republican

Education: High school diploma, Palatine High School, 1996. Bachelor's degree in public policy, Indiana University, 2001. MBA, University of Illinois, 2020.

Current roles: Palatine Township highway commissioner, 2016 to present. Insurance agent, Country Financial, 2020 to present. CEO, Adrenaline Special Events, 2016 to present. CEO, Chicago Casino & Poker Rentals, 2004 to present.

Experience and public service

Del Mar has held elected office in Cook County's northwest suburbs for more than a decade. He served as a council member for District 1 on the Palatine Village Board from 2009 to 2013, according to BallotReady. He has served as Palatine Township highway commissioner since 2016.

Del Mar has also held party leadership roles. He chaired the Cook County Republican Party from 2012 to 2016, according to his campaign's Facebook page. Illinois Public Media reported he again serves as Cook County Republican Party chairman, a role listed through 2025 and 2026.

Outside government, Del Mar has run two businesses. He has served as CEO of Chicago Casino & Poker Rentals since 2004 and as CEO of Adrenaline Special Events since 2016, according to BallotReady. He has also worked as an insurance agent with Country Financial since 2020.

On the issues

Del Mar's campaign did not provide specific policy positions or issue responses for this profile. The race is on the ballot.

The Park Ridge Wire will update this article if the campaign supplies policy responses.

On electoral strategy, Del Mar said the Bailey-Del Mar campaign hopes to win upwards of 33% of the vote in the Chicago area, up from the 23% Bailey received in Cook County in the 2022 gubernatorial race, Capitol News Illinois reported. That goal reflects the ticket's focus on improving Republican turnout in Cook County, according to the Capitol News Illinois report.

The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

The Park Ridge Wire sent a questionnaire to all candidates in contested races. This profile is based on reviewed public records, BallotReady data and candidate responses where available.