A Bailey/Del Mar Ticket?
Former Sen. Darren Bailey (L) and Cook County GOP Chairman Aaron Del Mar are in talks to form a ticket for the 2026 gubernatorial race, sources say.
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Multiple sources tell The Illinoize former State Senator and 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey is in talks with Cook County GOP Chairman and potential candidate for Governor Aaron Del Mar to join forces for a 2026 ticket.
I’m told Bailey’s team reached out to Del Mar earlier this week to offer him the LG spot on the ticket, but Del Mar declined. Conversations have since restarted in “the last 48 hours.”
Del Mar ran for Lt. Governor in 2022 with businessman Gary Rabine, finishing fourth in the GOP primary.
Sources close to Bailey confirmed early this week he is “seriously considering” entering the race for Governor.
Del Mar, a member of the GOP state central committee and chair of the Cook County GOP, has hinted at a run for Governor for months.
Del Mar is a suburbanite and of Filipino descent, which would add some geographic and racial diversity to a potential ticket.
Republicans appear split on the potential alliance.
“I think it would be a strong ticket that could take Illinois back,” said one conservative GOP operative.
“If JB Pritzker were to handpick the Illinois Republican ticket in 2026, it would be Bailey/Del Mar,” GOP strategist and podcast host Collin Corbett wrote on Twitter.
It isn’t clear how far along talks between Bailey and Del Mar may be, other than they are said to be “serious.”
The only other announced candidate for Governor, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, has chosen author Robert Renteria, a Latino, as his running mate.
