Can Hanna then claim to a Republican Congressman nationally after he got elected by defeating the candidate chosen by Republicans? There should be some kind of rule to prevent liberals like Murkowski and Hanna from doing that and falsely representing themselves in public as Republican Party officials. In either scenario they should be listed as an Independent who is caucusing with the GOP.
I doubt the party would do a thing to alienate any member by refusing to list them as a Republican just because they betrayed the party process.
It doesn’t make much of a difference anyway. Bernie Sanders and Angus King aren’t listed as rats but that doesn’t make any difference to anything other than the number of rats is listed as 53 with an asterisk rather than 55.
It would be symbolic gesture with no real upside, if they conferenced with Republicans they’d still be viewed as Republicans.
They could instead get the balls to kick them out period, tell them they can’t conference with Republicans or take a Republican spot on a committee and will never under any circumstance ever receive official party support if they ever run as a Republican again. But they wouldn’t want them joining the rats, so they wouldn’t do that.
Somewhat related, it’s interesting what the parliamentary countries do to any politician with a scandal, kick them out unless and until they are cleared. Grimm would be an Independent right now if this were Canada.