Carbondale Reporter

Tim Schneider, who has served as the Illinois Republican Party chairman since 2014, will step down from his leadership position and begin looking for his replacement as soon as next month. 

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this party for the past six years," Schneider said during a meeting of the Republican State Central Committee. "The Illinois Republican Party is an important force for change in a state that so desperately needs it.” 

While the announcement came as a surprise to some, other sources also speculated that Schneider was facing pressures from conservatives within his own party. The same sources claimed that attempts were also made to have GOP Chairman Mark Shaw of Lake County replace Schneider. This would not be the first time Shaw has challenged Schneider’s position, as Shaw first sought to replace Schneider in 2018.  

Shaw has been a controversial figure on a variety of topics. During a September social media fundraiser, Shaw shared photographs of an indoor and outdoor event with the caption “Without fear and without masks!” Few people in the photos were wearing masks, despite safety mandates for COVID-19 being in effect. 

In 2017, Shaw also held a fundraiser event two weeks after the Las Vegas concert shooting, during which the local GOP organization auctioned off over a dozen firearms. 

Since Shaw was not able to garner immediate support from colleagues, party leaders decided instead to form a search committee to find a successor to Schneider. Schneider’s term was set to run through May 2022. 

“I believe the Illinois GOP is in a great position to take this momentum (of 2020) and regain the governor’s mansion, win a U.S. Senate seat, win majority control of the Supreme Court for the first time, and put up a strong fight in other races up and down the ballot in 2022,” Schneider said.