[Dave W]

The state party has objective criteria. If you fulfill it, you have to be on the ballot. Otherwise, the process would be corrupt to the core.

[highball]

Yes, but they don’t have to actually support the candidate that comes out of the primary.

If the state party made it clear that this scumbag wouldn’t receive full support, the primary voters might not have put him on the ballot. I remember Republicans speaking out against David Duke when he tried to use the GOP’s good name to further his own ambitions.