Illinois Republican Party chairman Tim Schneider resigning

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The head of the Illinois Republican Party is stepping down after more than six years.

Tim Schneider informed members of the Republican State Central Committee during an online meeting Saturday.

'œDuring my tenure, the ILGOP has stood for reform - term limits, fair maps, and the end to the rampant corruption plaguing our state," Schneider said in a written statement. "And we were united around our conservative values of smaller government, lower taxes and personal responsibility.'ť

Schneider's term was supposed to run through May 2022. He's a former Cook County commissioner who became Illinois Republican chairman in 2014 when Bruce Rauner, a Republican, was governor.

Democrats control state government, although Republicans in the recent election helped defeat Gov. J.B. Pritzker's plan to overhaul Illinois tax rates.

Lake County GOP chairman Mark Shaw tried to challenge Schneider for the party post two years ago but accepted the title of party co-chairman for conservative and grassroots outreach, the Chicago Tribune reported.