The chairwoman of the a Colorado county Republican party has resigned, after being accused of favoritism and posting a racist meme that compared President Barack Obama to a chimpanzee on her Facebook page.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported the appearance of the photo on Linda Sorenson’s Facebook page.

“Sorensen posted a black-and-white picture of former president Ronald Reagan bottle-feeding a chimp named Bonzo in the 1951 movie Bedtime for Bonzo,” the newspaper wrote. “Above and below the picture, someone added: ‘I’ll be dammed ... Reagan used to babysit Obama!’”

Sorenson stepped down after an accountability meeting was convened by Delta County’s Republican central committee, announcing her decision to resign in an email to supporters.

The committee was investigating allegations that Sorenson and others made that her Facebook page was “hacked”, as well as whether she violated party rules by endorsing a primary candidate.

Sorenson said her Facebook page was hacked, but Colorado party chairman Steve House said that was not the case.

Don Suppes, mayor of Orchard City, who is running for the Delta County commission, told the Daily Sentinel he wasn’t at the meeting, but got the email and agreed with the decision.

“There’s no room for racism, intended or unintended, in society,” he said. “It’s best for the party, best for the county, that she step down.”

Party members said Sorenson also urged people to vote for the US Senate candidate Daryl Glenn, even though six Republicans were competing for the right to challenge Democratic senator Michael Bennet in the 28 June Republican primaries, which Glenn won.

Under party rules, officials of state and local parties, including their leaders, are not allowed to endorse one primary candidate over another.

“That is one of the hardest parts of that job,” Suppes said. “You have to stay neutral no matter how strong your feelings are one way or another. You have to stay neutral.”