She’s made statements over the years that will readily be used against her in a general-election campaign, and she’s been cagey about aspects of her past, including when she first moved to and voted in Pennsylvania. The party shouldn’t be putting itself in the position to find out more about all of this and fully vet Barnette after next Tuesday’s primary.

It is perhaps understandable that primary voters have been interested in Barnette, given the alternatives. Dr. Oz is a shrewd man and talented communicator with a successful TV show under his belt to prove it, but he’s not a conservative. He happened to win the contest for Trump’s endorsement, largely because of his celebrity, but his record of liberal statements on issues like abortion and guns has provided fodder for his Republican opponents.

The other major GOP candidate, Dave McCormick, is a former hedge-fund executive and an establishment Republican from central casting, although he’s been running as an “America First” candidate. He’d probably be a more reliable conservative vote in the Senate than Oz, but has run a lackluster campaign and isn’t a natural fit for working-class Pennsylvania.