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Former US President Donald Trump lodged an appeal on Tuesday challenging the decision of Maine’s top election official, which sought to exclude him from the presidential primary ballot in the northeastern state. Last week, Maine, following Colorado’s lead, prohibited Trump from featuring on the primary ballot due to his involvement in the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters.
Trump’s legal team called for the dismissal of the ruling by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, accusing her of being a “biased decisionmaker” who “acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner.”
The Colorado Supreme Court had previously ruled that Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is ineligible for the presidential primary ballot in the western state, citing the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Section Three of this amendment prohibits individuals engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” after pledging to support and defend the Constitution from holding public office.
The Colorado Republican Party has appealed this decision to the US Supreme Court, and it is anticipated that the Maine case will also reach the nation’s highest court.
Bellows, in her decision, emphasized that the January 6 attack “occurred at the behest of, and with the knowledge and support of, the outgoing President.” She stated, “The US Constitution does not tolerate an assault on the foundations of our government, and (Maine law) requires me to act in response.”
Similar challenges to Trump’s eligibility under the 14th Amendment have been raised in other states. Minnesota and Michigan courts recently ruled in favor of keeping Trump on the ballot in those states.
The twice-impeached former president is slated to go on trial in Washington in March on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden. Additionally, he faces racketeering charges in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to undermine the election results in the southern state.
Maine and Colorado are set to hold their presidential nominating contests on March 5, known as “Super Tuesday,” when voters in over a dozen states, including California and Texas, cast their ballots.
