It's (Back) On: Shealy vs. Knotts -- Maybe

COLUMBIA — Following a contentious hearing Wednesday night, the SCGOP executive committee agreed unanimously to recertify Katrina Shealy -- a move that could place her back on the June 12 party primary ballot against incumbent Sen. Jake Knotts.

The ruling means the state Republican party will file a certification statement on Thursday with the Lexington County Commission of Registration and Elections, stating Shealy should be placed back on the ballot.

The commission will make the determination, SCGOP Chairman Chad Connelly said. Asked if the commission will put her back on the ballot, Connelly said: "I guess we'll find out."

The committee made its ruling without comment.

Shealy and her supporters -- which also included Gov. Nikki Haley, who showed up for the hearing and was allowed to speak -- insinuated that Shealy's removal from the ballot was a calculated political move to make a Knotts' victory more likely.

Knotts stood to run unopposed with Shealy off the ballot. Shealy was one of 180 candidates statewide affected by a recent state Supreme Court ruling that knocked the candidates off the June 12 party primary ballots for failure to properly file their Statement of Economic Interest forms.

That Supreme Court case was brought by two Lexington County voters -- one of whom has ties to Knotts. Shealy was named in the original suit as one of three Lexington County candidates who had been improperly certified by party officials.

Though intended only to decertify Shealy and the two other Lexington County candidates named in the suit -- GOP County Coroner candidate Clay Burkett and Democratic S.C. House candidate Walid Hakim -- the court ruled that all candidates in the state who were certified by their parties after improperly filing their SEI forms must must also be removed from the primary ballot.

"All of these election ballot shenanigans have just been distractions put forward by our liberal opponent to hide from what this race is all about," Shealy said afterwards in a statement.

"This campaign is about giving the voters a choice between a conservative, common sense, proven businesswoman and an out-of-touch politician who says he is a conservative, but votes like a liberal."

Shealy, former chairwoman of the Lexington County GOP, came within 500 votes of ousting Knotts in 2008. She announced in 2010 she would again challenge him, just days after his .

Two weeks ago, the chances looked bleak, as mandated by the General Assembly should not be on the ballot. Shealy's name was not certfied by the GOP. She was one of 14 such candidates in Lexington County -- all but one a Republican -- and 180 statewide from both major political parties.