An effort to oust Illinois GOP Chairman
Pat Brady over his support for gay marriage appears to have failed.
The
Chicago Tribune reported that a special Saturday meeting to
debate Brady's fate was abruptly canceled.
Brady said in a statement in January
that legalizing the institution for gay and lesbian couples “honors
the best conservative principles. It strengthens and reinforces a
key Republican value – that the law should treat all citizens
equally.”
Sources within the GOP state central
committee told the paper that the effort to fire Brady lacked
sufficient support.
State Senator Jim Oberweis, also a
committeeman, has been leading the effort to remove Brady. He
earlier told WBEZ that he had the votes needed.
The Republican Party platform states
that it supports marriage as between a man and a woman.
“We'd have exactly the same reaction
if suddenly Pat decided to talk about the merits of Obamacare,”
Oberweis told WBEZ.
A bill which seeks to make Illinois the
10th marriage equality state awaits action in the House
after passage in the Senate.