Maine disqualifies Trump from presidential primary ballot, citing insurrection clause
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Maine’s secretary of state has removed Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the insurrection clause of the US constitution.
The move follows a recent decision made by Colorado’s supreme court to remove Trump from the state’s primary ballot, citing the same constitutional cause and setting up a legal showdown at the US supreme court.
Maine’s election official is the first to take action unilaterally, and the move has potential electoral college consequences.
While Maine has just four electoral votes, it’s one of two states to split them. Trump won one of Maine’s electors in 2020, so having him off the ballot there should he emerge as the Republican general election candidate could have outsized implications in a race that is expected to be narrowly decided.
The decision by the secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, follows a December ruling by the Colorado supreme court that booted Trump from the ballot there.
Both the Maine decision and the Colorado decision are based on section 3 of the 14th amendment, which bans from office those who “engaged in insurrection”. Colorado is a Democratic-leaning state that is not expected to be competitive for Republicans in November.
Bellows found that Trump could no longer run for his prior job because of his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Bellows made the ruling after some state residents, including a bipartisan group of former lawmakers, challenged Trump’s position on the ballot.
More details soon …