Darren Bailey Staying In IL Governor's Race Following Family Tragedy

Following the tragic loss of his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren in a helicopter crash last month, Darren Bailey paused his gubernatorial, leaving many wondering if the Louisville Republican would drop out of next year's race. On Monday, the 59-year-old cleared things up in a video post on social media.

"Many have asked if we plan to stay in the race for Governor. After a lot of prayer and honest conversations, we've decided to continue," said Bailey, with his wife, Cindy Stortzum, by his side.
"We believe Illinois is worth fighting for, and we’re committed to moving forward — one day at a time."

Bailey's son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, age 12, and Samuel, age 7, died in an Oct. 22 helicopter accident in Montana. Zachary Bailey was piloting the helicopter when it crashed. The family was in Montana on a business trip as Zachary Bailey worked to expand their family farm's use of helicopters. Another of Bailey's grandchildren, Finn, 10, wasn't in the helicopter and is safe.

"The last two weeks have been some of the hardest days of Cindy's and my life," Bailey said. "We're hurting, but we’re leaning on our faith, our family, and the prayers and support so many of you have shared. It truly means more than we can say."

RELATED: Darren Bailey's Son, Daughter-In-Law, 2 Grandchildren Die In Helicopter Crash

Bailey is asking voters to give him a second chance to run against Gov. JB Pritzker in the Nov. 2026 election. The former state senator and state representative ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2022, and also came up short in a Congressional primary two years later. The downstate farmer has chosen Aaron Del Mar as his running mate.

Before that, though, he will face six other candidates in the Republican primary, scheduled for March 17, 2026.

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