I commend the Chatham County Republican Party for issuing a formal censure of Randolph County Sheriff Greg Seabolt. This decision reflects a clear understanding of why political parties exist in the first place. A party is not simply a ballot label or a loose affiliation. It is a voluntary organization built on shared principles, shared rules, and mutual accountability. When those rules are enforced consistently, the party maintains its integrity and credibility with voters.

The North Carolina Republican Party’s Plan of Organization exists to provide clarity, consistency, and fairness in how the party governs itself. Its rules are not instruments for resolving policy disagreements, personal conflicts, or differences in governing philosophy. They are standards of conduct that apply only in specific and limited circumstances. One of those circumstances involves party loyalty in elections. The Plan of Organization provides that when a registered Rep