Bryan Norris, who narrowly lost the Republican primary runoff for Arkansas secretary of state earlier this year, has been expelled from his local Republican Party committee on charges of violating party rules. The removal, which Norris contends was unjust, highlights internal conflicts within the party.
Norris stated in a news release that the State Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Arkansas voted to expel him from the Independence County Republican Committee. Pulaski County GOP Chairman Michael White said in a Facebook video that he had also been removed from the Pulaski County Republican Committee.
The allegations against Norris stem, in part, from a lawsuit he filed over the Independence County Quorum Court's decision to nullify a voter-approved measure requiring elections to use hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots. The party also cited his payment of a filing fee for an individual who sought membership in the Independence County GOP but later withdrew his application upon discovering he lived outside the county.
Norris, who ran against now-Secretary of State Kim Hammer, lost the GOP runoff by a narrow margin. Hammer had the backing of prominent Republican leaders, including a group tied to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ senior political adviser.
Following his expulsion, Norris publicly endorsed three Libertarian candidates for Arkansas executive branch positions. According to his statement, one of the charges against him was that he had publicly asserted that Colt Shelby, the Libertarian nominee for governor, would appear on the November ballot.
In his statement, Norris accused the state committee of violating party rules during his removal process, stating he was denied access to the complaint and evidence and was not granted a hearing in his home county. The Arkansas Republican Party declined to comment on specific expulsions, including Norris and White, but stated in an email on Tuesday that "complete rules reviews" preceded the removals. The statement emphasized the importance of accountability for members found to have violated party rules or worked against party interests.
White shared in his video that he was accused of publicly supporting Norris during the GOP secretary of state race through social media and appearing in a photo with Shelby, though he insists these actions were not endorsements.
Norris' legal challenges following his primary loss, including a recount request and a lawsuit contesting the results, failed to alter the election outcome. A state judge dismissed his lawsuit in June, further solidifying Hammer's victory.
The controversy comes amid growing efforts by third-party candidates, including Libertarians, to capitalize on internal Republican divisions ahead of the upcoming general election cycle.