In a mixed ruling, Circuit Court Judge Earnest Kinard found that Paul Thurmond did not file properly to run for the S.C. Senate District 41 seat, but that the Charleston County Republican Party has an opportunity to find a new candidate.

Kinard ruled Thurmond ruled Thurmond ineligible, but said the party could hold an expedited primary to replace him, however as the Post and Courier reports, that leaves only a day before the party has to certify its state and local candidates for the general election this fall.

Meanwhile, the man currently holding the office, Sen. Walter Hundley, who won a special election earlier this summer to finish out now Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell's unexpired term, is waiting to see if he collected enough signatures to get on the general election ballot as a petition candidate. Hundley's petition was still listed as pending by the S.C. State Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon.

Hundley did not intend to run for the office for a full term in the fall, but started working on the petition campaign when Thurmond's candidacy was called into doubt by a lawsuit filed by George Tempel, the former chair of the Charleston County Democratic Party.

Hundley's opponent in the special election, Paul Tinkler a Democrat, is on the November ballot. Thurmond had filed a counter-suit against Tinkler's candidacy after Tempel filed his lawsuit, but Thurmond later withdrew his suit against Tinkler.