The Delaware GOP’s executive committee voted Thursday night to renounce Scott Walker – one day after the Republican nominee for U.S. House went on an explosive Facebook tirade.

The state Republican Party never publicly backed Walker, who ran for Congress in 2016 as a Democrat.

This week’s unanimous censure from the committee is intended to make it clear the party will not be providing any financial backing or other support to the 67-year-old Milford resident, who shocked the state by winning the Sept. 6 Republican primary.

“Walker has expressed views on social media that do not in any way represent our Party,” state GOP Chair Mike Harrington wrote in a release posted to the party’s website Friday.

“We vigorously condemn those views and his actions,” he continued. “I feel that it is necessary for all voters to understand the firmness with which all party leaders and I feel about this action and his presence on the ballot.”

Walker said the party’s actions are of no consequence to him.

“I work for the people not the Republican Party of Delaware,” he said. “I left them behind a long time ago.”

The party’s public rejection of Walker comes at the end of a difficult week for Republican leaders.

A resignation email from the New Castle County Committee chairman that became public Wednesday attacked the integrity and character of Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett, the party’s candidate for the U.S. Senate. Arlett's campaign also responded to that attack Friday.

Hours later, Walker unleashed a social media rant in which he called incumbent U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester an “Aunt Tom,” accused the state’s top Democratic officials of being racist and referred to feminism as “an assault against people of color.”

State Republican Party Executive Director Emily Taylor said Thursday that Walker’s comments do not reflect how the GOP feels.

The Delaware Democratic Party argued they should go further, arguing that the GOP’s disavowal of Walker was “long overdue.”

Word of the GOP executive committee’s vote first leaked on Twitter late Thursday, but it took Harrington until late Friday afternoon to release his statement.

In that release, Harrington reports Walker attended a Republican “candidate school” in the spring but was told “he was not welcome and could not participate.”

Brig. Gen. Kenneth “Ed” Brandt, a high-ranking chaplain in the U.S. Army National Guard and the party’s initial candidate for the U.S. House, dropped out of the race in April amid questions about whether his campaign announcement violated a federal rule that bars active-duty military from engaging in partisan political speech.

Actor Lee Murphy then stepped forward and volunteered to run but could not be formally endorsed by the party because he filed after the convention in late April.

Harrington indicated he was surprised when Walker filed to run for the seat as a Republican four days later.

But likely not as surprised as he was when Walker defeated Murphy in the primary by capturing 53 percent of the 35,932 votes cast.

“Frankly, there is no one that I or other party leaders have talked to who can explain how he actually won the September 6th primary,” Harrington wrote. “We apologize to the voters of Delaware and our Party faithful, that these series of unfortunate events have led to this situation.”

Walker said he is used to being ignored by “political elites” in both parties.

“I welcome it actually because it brings me closer to the people,” he said. “I think they underestimate the will of the people and the discontent that’s out there.”

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.

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