Sound Off: Did State GOP Go Too Far?

Though they may have a preference, political parties typically do not endorse one member of their own party over another member. But on Saturday, the South Carolina Republican Party Executive Committee took the unusual step of endorsing a petition candidate, Katrina Shealy, over Jake Knotts, a long-time Republican, for Senate seat 23.

To be sure, Shealy would have preferred to be on the ballot as a Republican and Knotts has been oft-criticized for being a RINO (Republican in Name Only). But the endorsement had little to do with adherence to Republican doctrine. What caused the SCGOP to act at this stage is not clear--the candidates had been certified and are set to be on the November ballot. But Knotts' ability to make headlines in unflattering ways over the last several years, and especially in the last few months, was surely a factor.

Knotts' lawsuit over Shealy in April led to this entire election season being thrown into chaos. Since then, he's found his way into the news for a variety of reasons.

Nevertheless, political parties have a tradition of letting voters decide. So, did SCGOP exceed its authority by endorsing Shealy?

Vote in the poll and tell us in the comments section below.