Peace said he believes he’ll have enough delegates to win regardless of his opponent’s tactics, but Wyatt called the race a “dead heat” that will come down to who can get more of their people to Hanover High School next month.

In early 2018, Wyatt was appointed to serve on the Republican committee that chose whether the nomination would be decided by a party-run convention or an open primary. Wyatt didn’t personally cast a vote for a convention. But his stand-in representative did, which led a party official to boot Wyatt from the committee for not disclosing he might run for the seat.

In a written statement, Dale Taylor, the chairwoman of the Hanover Republican Committee, said the situation created a “major conflict of interest” and “called into question the integrity of all involved.”

“As Republican leaders, we must be above reproach, fair, and fully transparent,” Taylor said.

Wyatt said he had asked to be taken off the committee but Taylor didn’t act on his request. He acknowledged he was considering challenging Peace when former Hanover GOP chairman Russ Wright appointed him to the committee.

“You look for support,” Wyatt said. “You’ve got to have support before you step out in traffic.”