Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file
Illinois Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady announced his resignation Thursday, ending a nearly three-decade tenure in Springfield.
The minority GOP leader from downstate Bloomington did not give a reason for his resignation, which was announced about 12 hours before taking effect at 11:59 p.m. New Year’s Eve.
Brady served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 to 2000 before taking office in the state Senate in 2002.
He also made three unsuccessful bids for governor before becoming the leader of the Senate Republican caucus in 2017. Last month, Brady announced he wouldn’t run again for the leadership post, which will soon be held by Hawthorn Woods Republican Sen. Dan McConchie.