DES MOINES — Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn has announced he will step down as the state’s top Iowa GOP party official Feb. 10.

Strawn has served as chairman of the Iowa GOP since January 2009. The Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee will be charged with setting the date to elect Strawn’s successor.

In his resignation message, Strawn said he had sought to “make the Iowa GOP a relevant force again in Iowa politics by ushering in an era where the Republican Party returned to winning elections without betraying our conservative principles.”

“Over the past three plus years, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams,” he said. “We witnessed sweeping Republican electoral victories at all levels. The party saw GOP voter registration increase for 34 consecutive months, kept the Iowa caucuses first-in-the-nation, broke fundraising records, hosted the largest Republican presidential caucus in history, and for the first-time ever, the Iowa GOP co-hosted three nationally televised presidential debates that were watched by millions.

“Simply put, your Iowa GOP is better off than it was four years ago thanks to outstanding team work,” Strawn said.