A longtime Southwest Missouri conservative activist has hit a bump in the road after his three decades of involvement within the inner workings of the Missouri Republican Party.

The eligibility of ballots submitted by Carthage-area resident John Putnam, former chairman of the Jasper County Republican Central Committee, in his two-way race to become chairman of the 127th House District Republican Committee has been questioned. The issue arose after Putnam narrowly defeated Dade County resident Bob Jackson in a 15-14 vote last week.

Putnam, in an interview Monday, described the situation as “a minor inner-party dispute that should be cleared up at the state committee.”

“It’s very technical stuff,” he said. “We’re going to work it out, and I’m content to wait. A 15-14 vote is always divisive, and there’s always somebody who has their feelings hurt.”

When Jackson’s challenge was considered by the 32nd Senatorial District Republican Committee over the weekend, a subcommittee voted that six of Putnam’s votes, submitted by proxy, could not be included because they were not from his township. According to party rules, proxy voters may be used in these elections, but they must be a “qualified voter of the ward, township or subdistrict of the committee member giving the proxy.”

Serving on a legislative district committee is a relatively low-level job in the big picture of Missouri Republican politics, but the seats do matter, and their occupants have a say in the statewide leadership of the state party and over the fates of wannabe Republican lawmakers in cases in which an office is vacated. Last year, for example, the 157th House District Republican Committee selected Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, to run in a special election to replace Don Ruzicka, who had received an appointment by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

Those who chair the legislative district committees get a bit more say in the state’s political affairs. They are automatically members of the committees for their local state Senate district, judicial district and congressional district. They also vote to select one state committeeman and one committeewoman who ultimately are seated on the state committee and get to help decide a party chairman.

Putnam, a tea party activist who is well-known throughout the state, has not been shy about his concerns with the so-called party establishment. He backed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin until the end of the tumultuous 2012 campaign, and he has taken criticism directly to Republicans who he thinks are too flimsy on their beliefs.

The night before the 127th District Republican Committee chairman election, during remarks to the Jasper County Republican Central Committee, Putnam criticized U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., for what he said was Blunt’s support of Mississippi Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in his heated primary against tea party favorite Chris McDaniel.

“Roy Blunt has divided the Republican Party before, and I can’t support him in the Senate race next time, and I do think that has some bearing on what’s happening now,” Putnam said in an interview.

Missouri Republican Party Chairman Ed Martin has called for the Republican National Committee to investigate the Mississippi Senate race. He has said the runoff election there included “racially charged” television ads opposing McDaniel that should not be tolerated by the Republican Party. That episode solidified the distrust between Martin — and Martin’s supporters, like Putnam — and the so-called Republican establishment.

Putnam said, “They can read the tea leaves: If I’m the chairman of the district, I’m going to vote for a state committeeman and woman that will support Ed Martin in his re-election.”

Matt Wills, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, said he believes Putnam “got some bad advice” during his campaign. “The party rules on proxies,” he said, state that they “must be carried from the subdistrict.

“I don’t think there was any ill faith. I think he got some bad information as far as bylaws are concerned.”