But the party has not forgotten or forgiven. Instead, it is supporting Debbie Ware for the House, and so Gulley will have a primary opponent. Gulley apparently was asked by the party last month to support the Republicans' candidate for Speaker next year, whomever that is. Ware apparently had considered running for the House but promises of party support gave her added encouragement. So we have politics as usual.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Parties exist to elect people of like mind, and it doesn't always matter how competent a candidate is, just so long as he wears the right party label and votes the party line. Perhaps this is why so many voters are changing their registration to unaffiliated. We don't criticize party leaders for supporting their own. But they ought occasionally to recognize that independent thinking is an admirable trait and blindly following the party dictates is not always best. In Gulley's case, he did the honorable thing.