Illinois GOP chair resigns, cites support for same-sex marriage as a reason
Washington (CNN) – Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady resigned Tuesday, citing a handful of reasons including an ongoing struggle with several members of the state GOP over his support for same-sex marriage.
"There were several reasons," why he decided to step down, Brady said in a telephone interview with CNN. "I've been going at it hard for six years, I need to focus on my family, and obviously I had lost the support of the state Central Committee because of my position on gay marriage."
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Brady was elected chair in August 2009. His wife is battling cancer.
Brady is a close confidante of Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois. Kirk announced his support for same-sex marriage last month, while Brady did so earlier this year. Brady's public support of same-sex marriage angered social conservatives because it went against the state GOP platform on the issue. At the time Brady said it was a personal endorsement and reiterated that in the interview Tuesday with CNN.
The Illinois state legislature is considering legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. In speaking about Kirk and same-sex marriage, Brady said, "I agree with him, we need to get on the right side of history."
Brady also suggested the party is at a crossroads and needs to decide if it can be a party where "people can disagree on some issues" but agree on many others.
The RNC is currently working on a plan to help broaden the GOP's appeal beyond its traditional political base such as reaching out to minorities and younger voters – voting blocs it lost to Democrats by wide margins in 2012.
Under pressure from social conservatives, the RNC approved two resolutions last month re-affirming its position of only recognizing that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.
CONSERVATIVES SIMPLY ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK! MINDLESSLY ANYONE WITH WHOM THEY DISAGREE OR WHO DOES NOT THINK LIKE THEY DO.
Try this: visit website like HUMANEVENTS and disagree with some article using comment section – be smart, respectful and civil and sit back and enjoy the insults, attacks, hyperbole and ad hominem! They have zero positive, solution-based discussions; all they do is rant and rave about LIBS! and play blame game, fixated on Bengazi but NOT JOBS!
Another one bites the dust. Wont be to long before the hand full of good GOP representative jump ship.
@BSH
Illinois still has a Republican party? Can't tell, with all the corruption coming from Chicago.
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Yeah it still has one, though we are outgunned by the corruption in Chicago. The entire state of illinois is "red" with the exception of the two most populous counties, which drag the rest of the state blue.
@ Peoples State of Illinois
The Suburbs and rest of the State is pretty much Republican. Chicago is 90% Democrat.
"CONSERVATIVES SIMPLY ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK! MINDLESSLY ANYONE WITH WHOM THEY DISAGREE OR WHO DOES NOT THINK LIKE THEY DO."
And Liberals don't do the same? Try reading some of the other comments on the pages of this site. This is a LIBERAL cite and comments like yours are also posted up here attacking conservatives. So your premise is, well stupid. I'm not disagreeing with you because I am conservative and you are liberla, I am disagreeing with you here now because you statement is utter bollox, as Piers Morgan would say.
"fixated on Bengazi but NOT JOBS!"
Obama is fixed on same sex marriage and NOT JOBS and HE is the one who as President owns this economy.
Soon there won't be a single thinking, reasonable republican left. Goodbye GOP. There are onyl so many wingnuts in the US to buy your garbage. Now you're going to try to out-derp each other into oblivion.
Obama is like a kid with ADHD, just can't seem to focus on the rights things at the right time, jobs/economy vs. gay marriage; budget vs. soaring debt; Benghazi vs. re-election,
This looks insane now, but in the past, GOP won with these issues. Its racist Southern Strategy and pandering to the evangelicals worked, and drove the Democrats to the right. GOP base is dwindling, but still organized, powerful and dedicated. Thanks to that base, the GOP will keep on winning midterm elections; 2010 was a disaster for our country, but it happened. It could happen again in 2014. If I were the GOP, I'd stay far right until after the midterms, as they must win those. After that, I'd go with someone like Christie, and attempt a move to the center.
"Obama is fixed on same sex marriage and NOT JOBS and HE is the one who as President owns this economy."
Your statement is "utter bollox [sic]."