Local Palatine Republicans were shocked this week when they were asked to sign nominating petitions for current Republican Township Officials, and later found out that they had never been told by the circulators that two of the candidates on those petitions are in fact, DEMOCRATS. Even more shocking than this, it turns out that the petition is for a brand-new political party in Palatine Township, formed with the blessing of the sitting Highway Commissioner who happens to be… the Palatine Township REPUBLICAN Committeeman himself, Aaron Del Mar, whose main job is to see that Republican Candidates get elected in the township.
Del Mar is also the 5th Congressional District State Central Committeeman and the Illinois REPUBLICAN Party Co-Chairman. He ran for Lieutenant Governor as a Republican in 2022.
All eight township positions are up for election and both the Republican and Democrat parties could have filed slates at their individual caucuses, that would have given their respective constituencies their rightful ability to vote at Caucus. However, this year, in a coordinated effort, neither the Republican or Democrat Township Committeemen filed to hold a caucus, and instead circulated petitions for a new Palatine Township United Party. Unless there are Independent Candidates that come forward prior to the Monday, November 18 deadline, this new “United Party” will have zero opposition, as there will be no township races on the general election ballot, thus disenfranchising all of the voters of Palatine Township.
Palatine Township has been held by Republicans for more than 40 years. This election season, the Clerk and one Trustee chose not to run again. But, instead of recruiting two new Republicans for these open positions, the remaining Township Officials chose to secretly make a deal with Democrats and run on a slate together. The slate was formed with the blessing of the Republican Committeeman Aaron Del Mar and Republican Township Supervisor, Andy-John Kalkounos.
Committeeman Del Mar chose not to email members of the Palatine Township Republican Organization (which he heads) or share on its website any information about the efforts to form a new bipartisan party.
Longtime Palatine Township Republican voter Vicki Wilson noted, “Not much shocks me anymore, but it is egregious that Del Mar and Kalkounos would deceive us like this and betray the trust of the hard-working volunteers and Republican voters in Palatine Township. They care only about maintaining their own paid political positions with as little effort as possible. It is the duty of the Committeeman to bring people into the Republican tent, sharing why our principles work best for everyone. This is a betrayal on numerous levels. With a uni-party, the voters always lose.”
Both Natalie Sahinoglu and James Sloan are Democrats. Sloan voted in Democrat Primaries in 2016, 2018, and 2020. Sahinoglu voted in Democrat Primaries in 2020, 2022, and 2024. There is no record of either of them voting in a Republican Primary.
Further proof that Sahinoglu and Sloan are Democrats comes from the Greater Palatine Area Democrat website under a calendar post asking followers to get petition signatures for the bi-partisan slate Sahinoglu and Sloan are a part of:
“We have a chance to get two Palatine Democrats on the Township Board. Natalie Sahinoglu and James Sloan are running on a bi-partisan slate for Palatine Township Board. If this slate gets enough signatures, they will be the only candidates on the April 1, 2025 ballot for Palatine Township Board, and they will be voting members of the board.”
Statement from Former Republican State Representative Tom Morrison:
“It’s the duty of our Republican candidates and elected officials to go out, do the work, and make an honest case to voters. There is a difference between the parties and their governing philosophies. It’s one thing to attempt to find common ground or work across the aisle with other duly elected officials AFTER an election. But it seems our current Palatine Republican leadership would rather capitulate, BEFORE the fight. For those of us who’ve worked for decades to help keep Palatine in Republican hands, I disagree strongly with this move.”
Statement from Jeanne Ives, former State Representative and current State Central Committeewoman (3rd District):
“I’m calling on Aaron Del Mar to resign from all Republican leadership positions. Republican leaders do not recruit and run with Democrats on a bi-partisan slate. Republicans just showed gains in Illinois with Trump policies on the ballot. We need to expand on that momentum, not work to elect Democrats under the control of Pritzker who both vilifies Republicans and opposes common sense policies.”
Monday, November 18th, is the last day to file petitions for the township races. Any qualified resident can still file to run as an Independent for any of the township offices. The only other option to oppose this slate is for a qualified resident to run as a write-in candidate