FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2013

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

NOM Demands that State GOP Chair Pat Brady Resign or Be Removed

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today pledged to form an Illinois state PAC and spend $250,000 defeating Republican legislators who vote in support of same-sex 'marriage' in Illinois, just like the group successfully did in New York. The group also called on state Republican Chairman Pat Brady to resign or be removed from office for violating the national GOP platform and urging state Republicans to redefine marriage.

"Any Republican in Illinois who betrays the cause of marriage will be casting a career-ending vote and will be held accountable to their constituents," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We will spend whatever it takes — hundreds of thousands of dollars if necessary — to remove them from office, just as we did three of the four turncoat Republican state Senators in New York who were responsible for gay 'marriage' passing there. We will not hesitate to support pro-family Democrats to replace them, as our record in New York proves."

In New York, same-sex marriage narrowly passed the state senate after four Republicans and two Democrats changed their votes in response to promises of campaign cash from gay marriage activists. NOM targeted all seven for defeat, and was successful in removing five of them, replacing them in 2012 with pro-family Senators. As numerous media have reported, including the New York Times, "As four Republican state senators, one by one, agreed to break with their party and cast a politically risky vote to legalize same-sex marriage last year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and gay-rights advocates vowed to do everything in their power to protect them against political retribution. But when the Legislature returns to Albany next month, only one of those four senators will be among those sworn into office." ("Costly Toll for Republicans Who Voted for Gay Marriage")

In addition to supporting challengers to the four Republicans, NOM also supported pro-family Democrats, helping to re-elect Senator Ruben Diaz and electing a pro-marriage Democrat to unseat Senator Shirley Huntley in the Democratic primary. "Marriage is not a partisan issue," Brown said. "We will stand with pro-family legislators regardless of party affiliation when they stand up for true marriage."

NOM also demanded that state GOP Chairman Pat Brady resign his position, or be removed by Republican delegates as Brady called on GOP legislators to redefine marriage. Brady's position violates the strong pro-marriage plank of the Republican National Committee Platform, and is contrary to the position of every major GOP candidate for president in 2012.

"Pat Brady is unfit to continue as Chair of the state Republican Party and should immediately resign or be removed from office," Brown said. "We urge all donors to cease supporting the Republican Party in Illinois until Brady is removed from his position. His betrayal of Republican principles is unforgiveable and violates the trust of Illinois Republicans. Moreover, it will directly lead to the defeat of any GOP officeholder who follows his lead, as the experience in New York showed."

NOM called on GOP donors to instead direct their financial support to NOM or to other pro-family groups in Illinois.

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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Jen Campbell (x145), [email protected], at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).