{"id":2401063,"date":"2025-02-10T15:03:03","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T20:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/del-mar-teases-run-for-higher-office-sparking-2026-illinois-governor-speculation-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-10T15:05:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T20:05:40","slug":"del-mar-teases-run-for-higher-office-sparking-2026-illinois-governor-speculation-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/del-mar-teases-run-for-higher-office-sparking-2026-illinois-governor-speculation-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Del Mar teases run for \u2018higher office,\u2019 sparking 2026 Illinois governor speculation &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdel-mar-teases-run-for-higher-office-sparking-2026-illinois-governor-speculation-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2401063&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Aaron\u200b Del Mar,former running\u200d mate of \u2064Gary Rabine in \u200bthe 2022\u2063 Illinois gubernatorial\u200b primary,has hinted at a potential run for governor in 2026 during a speech at a Republican \u200cevent in Lincoln,Illinois. \u200bHe expressed intentions to explore statewide opportunities and\u200d emphasized\u2062 the importance \u200cof \u2063connecting wiht constituents \u2064across Illinois\u2019 102 counties. Del Mar criticized current Governor J.B. Pritzker for focusing\u200d primarily on Chicago rather than the entire state, and he referenced the high\u200b costs of the 2022 primaries. After recently stepping down from his position as co-chairman of \u2063the Illinois republican \u200cParty, Del mar speculated that Pritzker might not\u200d seek re-election \u2064due to a looming $5 billion deficit, suggesting Pritzker could be preparing\u2064 for a presidential run in 2028 rather. Del\u2063 Mar also highlighted the need for \u200cfuture governors to engage effectively with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/better-than-expected-u-s-economy-added-638000-jobs-in-october-unemployment-dropped-to-6-9\/\" title=\"Better Than Expected: U.S. Economy Added 638,000 Jobs in October, Unemployment Dropped to 6.9%\">federal government<\/a> amid\u200d ongoing \u200blegal issues related to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">federal \u2063law compliance<\/a> in Chicago.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Del Mar teases run for &lsquo;higher office,&rsquo; sparking 2026 Illinois governor speculation<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1990260\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Aaron Del Mar, while speaking at a Lincoln Day Dinner in Lincoln, Illinois, hosted by the Logan County Republicans, suggested he plans to run for &ldquo;higher office.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Del Mar was Gary Rabine&rsquo;s running mate in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. The pair lost to former state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m strongly considering a statewide run for governor. That&rsquo;s not something that&rsquo;s been a big secret. We&rsquo;re evaluating all the different opportunities and putting together a team statewide,&rdquo; Del Mar told The Center Square. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to each of the 102 counties in Illinois and listening to see what the issues are. One of the biggest challenges with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/recall-gov-newsom-calls-grow-louder-calif-dems-join-in\/\" title=\"Recall Gov. Newsom calls grow louder, Calif. Dems join in\">current governor<\/a> is he only governs Chicago. He doesn&rsquo;t govern the rest of the state.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Six candidates ran in the 2022 Republican primary. Incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker won the Democratic primary against Beverly Miles. Del Mar said it&rsquo;s important to avoid a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jd-vance-extremely-pac-receives-3-5-million-donation-from-peter-thiel\/\" title=\"JD Vance Extremely PAC Receives .5 Million Donation From Peter Thiel\">highly contested primary<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Over $115 million was spent just in the Illinois Republican primary, not including what we spent in the general election,&rdquo; said Del Mar. &ldquo;We also need to be cognizant of election meddling like J.B. Pritzker did in 2022 when he spent $25 million in our Republican primary. Republicans should be voting in Republican primaries. Democrats should be working in Democratic primaries.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Del Mar, who recently resigned his position as co-chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, said he thinks Pritzker won&rsquo;t run for governor in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s looking at a $5 billion deficit going into the next cycle. This might be his exit strategy to get out of that when he decides to run for president in 2028,&rdquo; said Del Mar.<\/p>\n<p>In an official statement after President Donald Trump won the November 2024 election, Pritzker said, &ldquo;In 2017, I <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-is-kathy-barnette-the-candidate-shaking-up-the-pennsylvania-senate-race\/\" title=\"Who Is Kathy Barnette? The Candidate Shaking Up The Pennsylvania Senate Race\">sought public office<\/a> in large part because of the threat Donald Trump and his allies posed to Illinois, and as governor, I have helped enshrine into state law protections that uphold our common Illinois values. That work will continue, and it remains my north star.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Del Mar said whoever becomes the governor in 2026 needs to work with the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Donald Trump and the White House filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, city of Chicago, and Cook County because they&rsquo;re not allowing federal law to be adhered to in the city of Chicago,&rdquo; said Del Mar. &ldquo;The Cook County board put together a resolution and passed it today [Thursday] that said that they would give public defenders to any illegal immigrants that are in not only Cook County but across the state of Illinois. In a county that&rsquo;s the second-largest county in the United States, the largest county in Illinois, to be sending resources out of its own county, which has already been depleted, is unimaginable and completely inappropriate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1990260\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1990260\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Del Mar hints at 2026 Illinois governor run at GOP event<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2401064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/voting.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[45496,50147,50148,50149,35471],"class_list":["post-2401063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2026-election","tag-del-mar","tag-higher-office","tag-illinois-governor","tag-political-speculation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/voting.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2401063"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2401067,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401063\/revisions\/2401067"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2401064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2401063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2401063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2401063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}