Statehouse Republicans don’t seem to be giving up on Sen. Dick Harpootlian.

The former Democratic prosecutor beat Republican Benjamin Dunn to win Republican Sen. John Courson’s seat representing the Irmo and 7 Oaks area of Lexington County.

Now Judge Robert Hood must decide if Judge Casey Manning’s ruling that the GOP Caucus should have stopped buying $200,000 in TV and online ads opposing Harpootlian, The State newspaper reported.

Caucus lawyers Butch Bowers, Lisle Traywick and Robert Tyson want Hood to dismiss Manning’s preliminary injunction.

Caucus lawyer Traywick said the Senate Ethics Committee, not a judge, should decide the issue.

Harpootlian’s lawyer Chris Kenney told Judge Hood that Senate Republicans raised hundreds of thousands of dollars 45 days before the election and began spending it on TV and internet ads and direct mailers to defeat Harpootlian.

“They are taking special interest money in unlimited amounts ... and then they are going out and trying to dictate the outcome of the election,” Kenney said.

Harpootlian’s other attorney Joe McCulloch told Hood that if the Republicans will promise not to go over the $5,000 limit again, Harpootlian would accept it.

“They’re not prepared to do that,” he said.“They want you to throw this case out.”