Politics
Darren Bailey’s Son, Daughter-in-Law, Grandkids Killed in Montana Helicopter Crash
Former state senator and unsuccessful candidate for governor and later Congress Darren Bailey is pictured at the 2023 Illinois State Fair during his unsuccessful congressional campaign. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)
Darren Bailey, the former state senator who is running to become Illinois’ next governor, announced early Thursday that his son, daughter-in-law and two of his grandchildren were killed in a helicopter crash in Montana.
Bailey’s campaign said he and his wife Cindy received the “heartbreaking news no parent ever wants to hear” after learning his son Zachary, daughter-in-law Kelsey, and their two young children Vada Rose and Samuel — ages 12 and 7 — had all died in the crash.
“Darren and Cindy are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss,” the Bailey campaign said in a social media post. “They are finding comfort in their faith, their family, and the prayers of so many who love and care for them. The Baileys deeply appreciate the kindness and support they have received and ask for privacy as they grieve and hold their loved ones close during this difficult time.”
Statement from the Darren Bailey / Aaron Del Mar Campaign
On Wednesday evening, Darren and his wife, Cindy, received the heartbreaking news no parent ever wants to hear. Their son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, age 12, and Samuel, age 7,… pic.twitter.com/AKKhumqHzs— Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) October 23, 2025
The Baileys also confirmed their third grandchild, 10-year-old Finn, was not on the helicopter and is safe.
Bailey, a downstate farmer who previously served in Illinois’ House and Senate, ran against incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker as the Republican Party’s candidate in the 2022 election, in which he was defeated.
Last month, Bailey announced he’d be running again in 2026, this time alongside Cook County Republican Party Chair Aaron Del Mar.
Pritzker on Thursday said he and his family were “devastated” by the reports, adding that “this is not a time for politics.” struggled to maintain his composure while saying this:
"I cannot imagine losing a child, losing two grandchildren. and what they must be going through. That’s all I can say,” the governor said, struggling to maintain his composure at an unrelated press conference. “This is just a time to recognize that …losing a child is, I don’t know, one of the hardest things ever.”
Bailey owns and operates a more than 12,000-acre farm in Clay County south of Effingham. He’s made the farmer lifestyle a pillar of his statewide campaigns as he often discusses learning the values of hard work and family from the farm. In 2022, Bailey ran a TV ad about building his business by working with his hands. It drew a contrast to Pritzker who inherited wealth, though Pritzker also had a long philanthropic and business career before becoming governor.
He was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018, but his political profile exploded in 2020 after he filed lawsuits challenging Illinois’ stay-at-home and mask orders in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuits helped lionize Bailey among Illinois conservatives who believed the public health restrictions were illegal for the governor to impose.
Bailey won a race for Illinois Senate in 2020 and then launched his 2022 campaign for governor hoping to capitalize on his growing reputation as the most vocal opponent to pandemic mitigations in the legislature.
Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.
