SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Four family members of a Republican running for governor in Illinois were killed in a Montana helicopter crash, his campaign said Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that it was investigating a helicopter crash in eastern Montana near the town of Ekalaka.
Pritzker said on Thursday that he and his wife expressed their condolences to the Bailey family.
During his run 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.
“Please join us in keeping the Bailey family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time,” the statement said.
Springfield, Illinois. (AP) — A Republican candidate for governor of Illinois announced Thursday that four members of his family had died in a helicopter crash in Montana.
Former state lawmaker Darren Bailey, who lost the 2022 Illinois gubernatorial election and is running for his party’s nomination again in the following year’s election, lost both his son and daughter-in-law in the crash on Wednesday. Previously, he was a member of the Illinois Senate and House.
Bailey’s campaign said in a statement that his son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, perished in the collision. The third child of the couple wasn’t on the helicopter.
“This unfathomable loss has left Darren and Cindy devastated.”. Their family, their faith, and the prayers of countless people who care about them are providing them with solace,” the statement read.
On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it was looking into a helicopter crash that occurred in eastern Montana, close to the town of Ekalaka. The helicopter crashed southwest of the town early on Wednesday night, according to the Carter County sheriff’s office.
This year, Bailey, a native of the town of Xenia in southern Illinois, declared his intention to run for governor in 2026 as the GOP’s nominee. The heavily favored Gov. defeated him. Pritzker, JB, in 2022.
On Thursday, Pritzker said he and his wife sent their condolences to the Bailey family. “What they must be going through, losing a child and two grandchildren, is beyond my comprehension,” the governor remarked.
As an outspoken conservative and farmer, Bailey’s statewide profile skyrocketed in 2020 as he frequently criticized Pritzker’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including his refusal to wear a mask during legislative sessions.
Bailey lamented Chicago’s crime rate while running for governor and suggested doing away with the state’s gun licensing program, claiming it does nothing to deter illegal gun use. He once voted in favor of a resolution that would have made Chicago a separate state.
Bailey ran against incumbent Republican U., who had served five terms, but was unsuccessful. S. . Rep. Last year, Mike Bost won the primary for a district that includes a large portion of Illinois’s bottom third.
The Illinois GOP is mourning the loss, said Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi in a statement. “We ask that you join us in remembering and praying for the Bailey family during this unfathomable time,” the statement read.
