Gary Bray, the newly elected Washington County Republican chairman, resigned his post just hours after The Oregonian published a

in which he accused Democrats of seeking "utopian enslavement."

Bray said in an early Wednesday morning email resigning his post that it quickly became evident to him that the political position "has not been a good fit" for him and that he would instead focus on his wholesale lumber business.

Greg Leo, the chief of staff of the Oregon Republican Party, said Bray came under pressure to resign from local Republican legislators.

Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro, in a phone interview from Washington, D.C., said that Bray resigned before he had a chance to encourage him to do so.

"It was the appropriate thing to do," said Starr, adding that Bray "wasn't going to be effective" at helping elect more Republicans to office.

"We've got to build bridges," said Starr, "and Republicans have a record in this state of working in a bipartisan fashion with their colleagues across the aisle."

Leo said that Lea Williams, the vice chairwoman of the county party, would take over the chairmanship.

Here's the text of the resignation letter that Bray sent to precinct officials:

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