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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."

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. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/07/illinois-gop-chair-res
igns-cites-support-for-same-sex-marriage-as-a-reason/?hpt=hp_bn3]
The man makes sense; an excellent reason to push him out.

We'll see where it goes in Illinois, which is one of five states considering it at this time:

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•Delaware: The House approved a bill today that could create same-sex marriage. It would still have to be passed by the Senate and signed into law. Under the legislation, no new civil unions would be performed after July 1, and existing civil unions would be converted to marriages.

•Rhode Island: The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 today to send a same-sex marriage bill to the full Senate. The House approved the bill in January. It would create same-sex marriage. Civil unions would become marriages on Jan. 1, 2014.

•Illinois: The Senate approved a same-sex marriage bill on Feb. 14. A date has not been set for the full House vote on the legislation.

•Minnesota: Legislation that would create same-sex marriage has not yet reached the floors of the House or Senate. A bipartisan group of legislators introduced the bill in February. It would repeal a 1997 law defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

•Nevada: Lawmakers passed a resolution Monday in the Senate that could redefine marriage. If the entire Legislature approves it this session, they will need to do so again in 2015. Voters would have to approve it in 2016. http://www.citizenlink.com/2013/04/23/lawmakers-in-5-states-consider-s
ame-sex-marriage-legislation/

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Baby steps. We're getting there.