Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey spoke with ABC7 Chicago for the first time about the tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of four of his family members back in October.
Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey spoke with ABC7 Chicago for the first time about the tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of four of his family members back in October.It is an uphill battle for Republicans looking to hold any statewide office in Illinois, but Bailey believes he is up for the fight this time around.
His family tragedy was a devastating blow, but it's also something that's motivating him more than ever to try and bring about change.Six weeks ago, a tragic helicopter crash in Montana took the lives of his son, Zach; daughter-in-law, Kelsey; and two grandchildren, 12-year-old Vada Rose and 7-year-old Samuel. Finn, 10, was not onboard. "I've never lost anyone close to me, you know, especially anyone, even unexpectedly like this. So, my compassion for people has also kind of been heightened," Bailey said.Bailey and his wife, Cindy, are now raising their grandson, Finn, with the help of other family members, who he says support his second campaign for governor. Bailey lost by more than 12 points to incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022. This time he's learned some lessons. "Probably one of the big things that we learned is, is targeting the low-propensity voter and informing them and making things available to help them understand whether to vote early. Do we need to come and pick you up?" Bailey said. Bailey remains a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump despite harsh Democratic criticism of the president's policies, including the aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in Chicago and the suburbs. "I think that if JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson, if they would have addressed this years ago, if they would choose to work with President Trump, I don't know that we would have seen these issues," Bailey said.
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