Downstate former lawmaker Darren Bailey announced Monday he would continue his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor, 19 days after his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were killed in a helicopter crash in rural Montana.

Appearing with his wife, Cindy, in a nearly three-minute video that touched frequently on Bailey’s conservative evangelical faith as well as encouragement he received from President Donald Trump, he said, “The last two weeks have been the hardest days of our lives. But your prayers, your messages and your love have carried us and we are so grateful.”

“After a lot of prayer and reflection, Cindy and I have decided we’re staying in this race for governor — not for politics but for every family trying to make it in a state that’s lost its way, for every parent that dreams of a better future for their children and for every Illinoisan who knows that we can do better,” said Bailey, who won the 2022 GOP nomination for governor but lost to incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker by 13 percentage points.

“President Trump recently called and he told me, ‘Darren, keep fighting. Don’t back down.’ That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Bailey said. “We’ve all been through tough times, but what makes Illinois special are the people who don’t quit — the ones who work hard, help their neighbors and believe tomorrow can be better. That’s who I’m fighting for.”

Only days before the first day for filing candidacy petitions for the March 17 primary election, Bailey’s campaign announced the deaths of his son Zachary, daughter-in-law Kelsey and grandchildren Vada Rose and Samuel. Another of the couple’s children, Finn, was not on the aircraft, and Bailey and his wife have taken guardianship of him. Zachary Bailey was flying the helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

When the campaign filed its candidacy petitions on Oct. 27, Bailey’s running mate, Cook County GOP Chair Aaron Del Mar, acknowledged Bailey’s candidacy was in flux and that the governor candidate went through emotional “peaks and valleys,” adding “there’s times where Darren seems like his normal self, and then there’s times that he’s completely shattered.”

In the video, Bailey cited the “faith and purpose” of his late son and daughter-in-law, saying they “believed in an Illinois where families could build a future without being crushed by bad government and broken promises. They believed this state could do better. So do we.”

“So I’m asking you, stand with us,” Bailey said as he reached for his wife’s hand. “Pray with us. Fight with us. Together we can bring back common sense, honesty and leadership that serves real people again. Together we will save Illinois’ future.”

Bailey, a downstate farmer from Xenia, previously served in the state legislature. After losing to Pritzker, he made an unsuccessful challenge to Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost in the 2024 primary.

It was not immediately clear when Bailey would return to active campaigning. He had reportedly been considering taking time off the trail until resuming campaign activities after the new year and allowing Del Mar to act as a surrogate — as he did during a forum for gubernatorial candidates in West Dundee on Monday night.

Pritzker, who attended a memorial event held by Bailey’s family, is seeking a third term as governor while also weighing a potential 2028 bid for the White House. Bailey is among seven Republicans who filed for the GOP nomination for the office, including conservative activist Ted Dabrowski, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills, a wealthy real estate developer who has a controversial background as founder of Gold Rush Gaming.

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