ROCKFORD, IL — Illinois Republican lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Del Mar is making affordability a central part of his pitch to voters as he campaigns with gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey ahead of the November election.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Del Mar argued that high property taxes, rising utility bills and business costs are pushing residents and employers out of Illinois. He also said state government should give local communities more control over zoning, development and how money is spent.
Del Mar said his campaign is built around three themes: affordability, public safety and education. He added that a new administration should focus on easing pressure on taxpayers while giving local officials more say in decisions that affect their communities.
Del Mar says the ticket brings together Chicago-area and downstate experience
Del Mar said he joined Bailey’s ticket because the two candidates come from different parts of Illinois and, in his view, bring different strengths to the race. Bailey is from southeastern Illinois, while Del Mar comes from the Chicago area.
He said that mix gives the campaign a broader perspective on the state’s needs. Del Mar described it as a combination of “the best of both worlds” when it comes to legislation, leadership and experience.
The candidate said that geographic balance matters because Illinois communities do not all face the same problems. He argued that state leaders should understand both urban and downstate concerns before setting policy that affects the whole state.
What Del Mar says he would do in the lieutenant governor’s office
Del Mar acknowledged that the lieutenant governor’s office has historically had a limited policy-making role in Illinois. Still, he said he would use the position to help manage the transition to a new administration if Bailey wins.
He said that work would include helping fill hundreds of posts across state boards, commissions and agency leadership positions. Del Mar also said he would want a close look at how state grants are distributed and spent.
He argued that every tax dollar should be tracked carefully and directed to the best possible public outcome. In his view, the office could serve as a watchdog for spending and a support role for small-business growth.
Taxes, mandates and grant spending are major targets for the campaign
Del Mar said Illinois residents have been pushed to rely too heavily on property taxes because Springfield has not sent enough money back to local governments and school districts. He said local officials need more state support if lawmakers want any meaningful property-tax relief.
Illinois does send billions of dollars each year to schools and local governments through state aid programs, but Del Mar argued that local property taxes remain the main funding source in many communities. He said communities should have more revenue so they are not forced to shoulder so much of the burden themselves.
He also criticized unfunded state mandates, saying local governments are often required to carry out state programs without receiving the money needed to do so. Del Mar separately took aim at lawmakers’ member initiative spending program, saying the money would be better used for education, public safety and tax relief.
Rockford-area zoning, solar projects and data centers drew strong comments
When asked what a Bailey administration would mean for Rockford and northern Illinois, Del Mar emphasized local control over zoning and development decisions. He pointed to disputes over housing, solar projects and data center proposals as examples of issues he believes should be decided closer to home.
Del Mar said municipal leaders know their communities better than state officials do. “Springfield doesn’t know what Rockford knows,” he said, arguing that local governments should have more authority over what gets built and where.
He also said communities outside the Chicago area have not received enough state investment. Del Mar pointed to broadband access and school funding disparities as continuing problems for rural parts of the state.
He backs parts of the SAFE-T Act but wants revisions to electronic monitoring
Del Mar also addressed the SAFE-T Act, Illinois’ sweeping criminal justice law that ended cash bail and made a series of policing and court changes. He said he supports the idea that people should not be jailed simply because they cannot afford bond.
At the same time, he said he wants the law revised. Del Mar called the state’s current approach to electronic monitoring “completely broken and failed” and said law enforcement officials should have had a bigger role in shaping the measure.
He said local prosecutors, sheriffs and municipal officials need more input because criminal justice policies affect different communities in different ways. Del Mar argued that one statewide approach cannot account for every local circumstance.
Affordability, public safety and education remain the campaign’s closing message
Del Mar said Illinois is losing residents and employers to other states because taxes and business costs remain too high. He pointed to Indiana’s property tax cap as an example of the kind of relief he believes Illinois should consider.
He said a cap similar to Indiana’s could make a major difference for homeowners, including many in Rockford. Using a $300,000 home as an example, Del Mar said a 1% cap would limit the tax bill to $3,000 and provide substantial relief.
For now, the Republican ticket is tying that argument to its broader campaign message. Del Mar said affordability, public safety and education are the three pillars he wants voters to remember.