Chicago, IL (AP) – Four family members of a Republican running for governor in Illinois were killed in a Montana helicopter crash, his campaign said Thursday.
The son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren of former state lawmaker Darren Bailey, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election in Illinois and is seeking his party’s nomination again in next year’s race, were killed in the crash Wednesday. Bailey previously served in both the Illinois House and Senate.
Bailey’s son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash in a remote area of eastern Montana, his campaign said in a statement. The couple’s third child was not on the helicopter.
“Darren and Cindy are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. They are finding comfort in their faith, their family, and the prayers of so many who love and care for them,” the statement said.
Zachary Bailey was piloting the helicopter when it went down, said Aaron Del Mar, who is Darren Bailey’s running mate and serving as a family spokesperson.
They were in Montana on a business trip so that Zachary Bailey could expand their use of helicopters as part of the family’s farm business, Del Mar said. Bailey and his two brothers helped their father run their farm in south-central Illinois.
Zachary Bailey first got his helicopter license years ago, Del Mar said, so that he could deliver medical supplies and aid to people in third-world countries. “That was a driving force for him to get his license,” he said.
The cause of the crash was not known, Del Mar said. No one else was on board, he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it was investigating the crash near the town of Ekalaka. The sheriff’s office in Carter County said it responded to the site Wednesday evening southwest of the town in the hilly Chalk Butte area where the flat-topped buttes have few trees.
Bailey, from the southern Illinois town of Xenia, announced in September that he is seeking the GOP’s nomination for governor in 2026. He lost to heavily-favored Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022.
Pritzker said on Thursday that he and his wife expressed their condolences to the Bailey family. “I cannot imagine losing a child, losing two grandchildren, and what they must be going through,” the governor said.
Bailey, a staunch conservative, dramatically increased his statewide profile in 2020 as a frequent critic of Pritzker’s approach to the coronavirus pandemic — including refusing to wear a mask during legislative sessions.
During his run for governor, Bailey railed about crime in Chicago and proposed eliminating the state’s gun licensing system, saying it doesn’t stop people from using guns illegally. He once supported a resolution seeking to make Chicago a separate state.
Bailey unsuccessfully challenged five-term incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost in last year’s primary race for a district that covers much of the bottom one-third of Illinois.
Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said in a statement that the party is grieving the tragic loss. “Please join us in keeping the Bailey family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time,” the statement said.
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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana; contributed.
