Former President Donald Trump has appealed the decision by Maine’s Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, to disqualify him from the state’s Republican presidential primary ballot scheduled for March 5, 2024. The disqualification was based on Trump’s alleged role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump’s legal team has filed an appeal with the state Superior Court, seeking to overturn Bellows’ decision. In her ruling, Bellows, a Democrat, stated that Trump incited an insurrection in an attempt to retain power after his defeat in the 2020 election, making him ineligible to hold office again under the U.S. Constitution.
Trump’s lawyers argue that the decision was biased and lacked due process. They contested the characterization of Trump’s actions as an insurrection and argued that Bellows did not have the authority to exclude him from the primary ballot.
The disqualification decision came after a group of former Maine lawmakers urged Bellows to keep Trump off the ballot, citing a provision in the 14th Amendment that bars individuals from holding office if they engaged in “insurrection” after taking an oath to the United States.
“I have confidence in my decision and the rule of law,” said Bellows in response to Trump’s appeal.
This move by Trump marks an ongoing legal battle over his eligibility to participate in primary elections. Similar challenges have been brought forth in other states under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, with lawsuits arguing that Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election and his encouragement of supporters to storm the Capitol constitute an act of insurrection.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the matter, especially after Colorado’s top court also barred Trump from its primary ballot. A nationwide resolution to the questions surrounding Trump’s eligibility could result from a Supreme Court ruling.
Despite legal challenges, opinion polls continue to show Trump as the frontrunner in the Republican nominating contest, with state-by-state contests beginning on January 15 in Iowa.
