Four members of Illinois politician’s family killed in helicopter crash

Darren Bailey’s son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren all killed in accident in Montana

A former Illinois state senator running for governor in 2026 is mourning the deaths of four family members killed when their helicopter crashed in Montana on Wednesday.

Darren Bailey’s son Zachary, daughter-in-law Kelsey, and grandchildren Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, seven, all perished in the incident, according to an announcement from his campaign on Thursday. The couple is survived by their 10-year-old son Finn, who was not on the aircraft.