Source: Politics<\/p>\n
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. \u2014 Four family members of a Republican running for governor in Illinois were killed in a Montana helicopter crash, his campaign said Thursday.<\/p>\n
Killed in the crash Wednesday were the son and daughter-in-law of former state Sen. Darren Bailey<\/a>, a Republican who lost the 2022 gubernatorial election in Illinois and is seeking his party\u2019s nomination again in next year\u2019s race.<\/p>\n Bailey\u2019s son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash, his campaign said in a statement. The couple\u2019s third child was not on the helicopter.<\/p>\n \u201cDarren 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,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that it was investigating a helicopter crash in eastern Montana near the town of Ekalaka. The sheriff\u2019s office in Carter County said the helicopter went down southwest of the town early Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n Bailey, from the southern Illinois town of Xenia, announced this year that he is seeking the GOP\u2019s nominee for governor in 2026. He lost to Gov. JB Pritzker<\/a> in 2022 after serving single, two-year terms in both the Illinois House and Senate.<\/p>\n He unsuccessfully challenged five-term incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost<\/a> in last year\u2019s primary race for a district that covers much of the bottom one-third of Illinois.<\/p>\n Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said in a statement that the party is grieving the tragic loss. \u201cPlease join us in keeping the Bailey family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n