Illinois GOP Co-Chair Aaron Del Mar goes from objectifying women to objectifying himself
Del Mar's self-promotion tour hits a new low this week in Palatine
After slip-and-fall attorney Kathy Salvi appointed her former Republican competitor Aaron Del Mar as the Illinois Republican Party co-chair, he embarked on a self-promotion tour.
Aaron Del Mar ./ Facebook
To be fair, self-promotion is Del Mar’s specialty. From 2002 to 2015, he ran an adult entertainment company called "Articulate Promotions," which included questionable divisions offering “show girls” and hosting “primal parties.”
Records of Aaron B Del Mar's numerous registered businesses show that Articulate Promotions also assumed the name “Chicago Tryst”.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a “tryst” is a “private romantic rendezvous between lovers,” and it’s fair to guess that the now-defunct chicagotryst.com was associated with some form of legal or illegal sex work.
Del Mar’s entry into politics appears to have begun with helping organize a Hillary Clinton event during the 2008 presidential election. In 2009, he won a non-partisan seat on the Palatine Council with a vote margin of 1,185 to 842
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Del Mar made his first notable move in Republican politics when he withdrew last minute from a bid to replace an Illinois state senator. As a reward, Governor Bruce Rauner, a controversial party figure, appointed Del Mar to the Illinois Highway Commission, a role with a $20,000 annual salary. This position opened the door to several other bureaucratic roles for Del Mar. He showed his gratitude by intervening in the highly contentious 2018 gubernatorial primary, where Jeanne Ives ultimately lost to Rauner, 48.5% to 51.5%.
Del Mar faced criticism from grassroots activists for “stacking the vote” for the Palatine Regular Republican Organization endorsement session in Rauner’s favor.
Del Mar’s tenure with the Illinois Republican Party has been marked by minimal fundraising, limited cultural or electoral influence, and accusations of racism. In 2016, he led efforts to remove Black elected Chicago Republican committee-people from the party for not being “Republican enough.”
Despite his role as chair to promote the Republican cause, Del Mar admitted to the Chicago Tribune that he couldn’t even persuade his own wife to vote Republican.
Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune
In the tumultuous political climate, Del Mar’s positions have appeared to shift. On January 6, he decried Donald Trump and called participants “terrorists”. However, he recently spoke at an event hosted by Terry Newsom, a known January 6 attendee.
Kathy Salvi’s decision to elevate Del Mar to co-chair likely secured his valuable loyalty.
Beyond Bruce Rauner, Del Mar has secured internal GOP victories, including the election of new federal Committeeperson Dean White and the re-election of embattled Cook County GOP Chair Sean Morrison.
Sean Morrison / Facebook
Sean Morrison was criticized for requesting leniency from a Cook County judge for an employee who had sexually assaulted and harassed a minor at Morrison’s pool party. The judge complied, only for the employee to later be arrested for soliciting a minor on a Morrison work trip. Despite these scandals and ideological conflicts, including Morrison’s support for Richard Irvin, Del Mar secured his decisive re-election as Cook County Republican Chair.
While Del Mar has shown support for his former competitor, he has also seized the opportunity to promote himself across the state.
Aaron Del Mar’s Instagram
Del Mar frequently appears as a speaker at Republicans events, often billed as “get out the vote” rallies, though they lack direct electioneering activities. On Wednesday, October 30th, Del Mar’s self-promotion tour will hit a new low as he headlines as the featured speaker at his own Palatine Republican Organization’s event at Tap House Grill
Aaron Del Mar/ Instagram Dean White, Del Mar, Larry Smith, Tim Ozinga
Similar to his earlier days, these gatherings involve socializing and alcohol. But instead of selling show girls, Del Mar himself is the one selling himself to geriatric men.