Topeka ? Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh said Thursday the Republican Party primary will be open to only Republican voters.

Speculation had arisen because on Saturday the GOP committee approved a resolution to open Republican primaries to unaffiliated voters.

Supporters of the more open primary said they would file that resolution with Shawnee County Judge Charles Andrews in a motion to reconsider an earlier order from Andrews that declared the Republican Party primary off limits to anyone but registered Republicans.

But Thornburgh said he has received no indication from Andrews that the judge would consider the resolution before Tuesday’s primary.

A call to Andrews’ chamber was returned by a court employee who said that Andrews had a hearing scheduled on the Republican Party dispute for Thursday, Aug. 5 two days after the primary.

“The bottom line is the election is already under way,” with absentee ballots and advanced voting, Thornburgh said.

“To change the system halfway through would be catastrophic and I think unconstitutional,” he said.