PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Republican Party has cut its support out from under one of its highest-elected GOP office-holders, Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman.

In a letter dated Feb. 19 that Chapman said he received Saturday, the county GOP’s executive board cited Chapman’s endorsement of Democratic Commissioner Steve Tharinger over Bob Forde in the general election last Nov. 6.

By doing so, Chapman broke the party’s bylaws and so was “barred from holding yourself as a Republican with any standing” for two years of probation, the letter said.

“I thought political free speech trumps bylaws,” Chapman told Peninsula Daily News on Monday.

Chapman said he didn’t expect such “blatant and harsh” treatment by the party — and he is unsure how he will approach his upcoming re-election campaign, if he decides to run for a third four-year term this fall.

The letter said the decision “to enforce the bylaws” had been made by the executive board on Feb. 18, almost four months after the November election.

“Again, this is not based on our feelings, but totally upon our bylaws of longstanding,” the letter noted.

The three-member board of county commissioners is comprised of Chapman, Tharinger and a second Democrat, Mike Doherty.

Chapman endorsed Tharinger last year as soon as Tharinger announced his bid for re-election.

No one filed to run against Tharinger before the June 8 deadline had passed.

Republicans, who had expected Sequim’s then-mayor, Walt Schubert, to run, were given two more weeks to recruit a candidate.

They chose Forde, a Sequim car sales manager.