CHICAGO (WLS) — Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for governor, has shared his thoughts with ABC7 Chicago for the first time regarding the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four of his family members in October.

After taking a brief hiatus from his campaign, Bailey has now returned to the political arena.

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In Illinois, Republicans face a challenging path to securing statewide offices, but Bailey is determined to overcome these obstacles. The recent family tragedy has been a devastating setback, yet it fuels his resolve to push for transformative change.

“It’s tough, and it has been life-changing,” Bailey expressed.

About six weeks ago, a helicopter crash in Montana resulted in the loss of his son Zach, daughter-in-law Kelsey, and two grandchildren, 12-year-old Vada Rose and 7-year-old Samuel. Fortunately, his 10-year-old grandchild, Finn, was not on board.

“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.

The tragedy drew his downstate Illinois family closer despite the void at Thanksgiving.

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.

Bailey is one of seven candidates currently running for the Republican nomination, with the primary next March.