Mark Vargas is the Editor-in-Chief of Illinois Review, the state’s leading source for conservative news and commentary. A political strategist and media personality, Vargas is also a columnist and frequent on-air analyst for Newsmax and formerly co-hosted The StoneZONE with Roger Stone.

In 2025, he was appointed by the White House as a Republican National Committee (RNC) media surrogate, regularly appearing across national television, radio, and digital platforms to advocate for President Donald J. Trump’s policies and advance the broader Republican agenda.

A former civilian official in the Office of the Secretary of War, Vargas completed 14 deployments to Baghdad as part of a U.S. task force focused on economic stabilization and reconstruction. He was awarded the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal for his service.

He later played a key role in securing presidential clemency for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and longtime Trump ally Roger Stone – efforts highlighted by The Wall Street Journal.