Degaston and others complained that not giving out e-mails handicapped candidates with smaller campaign treasure chests. That's a major issue for Degaston's challenge of Bramble in the senate race.

Party leadership initially argued that because all candidates in a race either had the e-mail lists or didn't, the playing field was level, but Monnahan finally decided that to be completely fair, the lists would be distributed to everyone.

"It does bother me because I gave my word to delegates," she said. "This kills me. When I say I will or won't do something, I keep to my word. I'm really having to go through some trauma here to do this."

The e-mail flap followed closely on the heels of a mailer sent by the state party that called five thus-far average freshmen legislators the Fabulous Five, four of whom are facing challenges from fellow Republicans. The mailer appeared to break state party rules against endorsing one Republican over another.

State chair Stan Lockhart said the mailer was supposed to be sent before other candidates filed and before the neighborhood caucuses. It mistakenly was sent late.

With more challenges to incumbents than are normal within the party, such infighting over the process of selecting Republican nominees probably isn't over. After all, the county convention is still exactly three weeks away.

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Tad Walch lives with his wife and five children in Provo, their home for the past 21 years. Please e-mail twalch@desnews.com.