ILLINOIS: Six Of Seven Anti-Gay State GOP Committee Members Lose Seats

Remember how NOM vowed revenge on former Illinois state GOP chairman Pat Brady for endorsing same-sex marriage? Brady did end up resigning but also gone now are most of his detractors on the state GOP committee.

Illinois Republicans across the state held elections for all 18 state central committee member posts this week, replacing six of the seven officials who signed on to a letter last year to hold a vote on removing Brady as chairman. The seventh person to sign the letter, Mark Shaw of the 10th Congressional District, was re-elected to a four-year term. Brady began making public statements in January 2013 in support of same-sex marriage, contrary to the party's platform that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Committee members in favor of his removal said he not only violated the platform, but commented without notifying them first. Brady, in turn, described the party as "on wrong side of history." He resigned from the chairman's post last May, citing his wife's battle with cancer and his desire to focus on his family after four years as chairman and two as a Republican National Committee member. He was succeeded by current chairman Jack Dorgan of Rosemont last June.