Mac Brown, the chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky, plans to step down from the role after eight years.?

Media reports late Monday night said Brown had written an email about his plans to step down. RPK spokesman Sean Southard confirmed Tuesday morning that Brown had sent an email about stepping down as chairman.?

Sarah Van Wallaghen, the executive director of RPK, said in a statement that Brown “has been one of the most influential chairmen to ever lead the Republican Party of Kentucky.”

“He helped flip the state house to Republican control for the first time in nearly a century, which has and will continue to deliver meaningful, conservative fiscal policies for a generation,” Wallaghen said. “After nearly a decade of service to the Commonwealth and the Republican Party, he has decided to spend much needed time with his family and friends. He is a true statesman, who has steered the ship of our organization for nearly a decade. We thank Mac for his service and wish him well as he embarks on this new chapter of his life.”

Brown was first elected as chairman in 2015. His tenure leading the state party has seen Republicans holding supermajorities in both the state House and Senate, several Republican statewide constitutional officers elected, and registered GOP voters outnumbering Democrats for the first time in Kentucky’s history.?

State Rep. Killian Timoney, R-Nicholasville, said on X, formerly Twitter, that Brown “was a voice of reassurance and a steady force when groups were fighting for control.”

“He discussed ‘big tent’ ideology and encouraged varying interests to attract new members,” Timoney said. “He wanted the party to appeal to new & younger members. Individual thought had a place in his vision.”