Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on Dec. 16 in Durham, N.H.
Reba Saldanha/AP
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Reba Saldanha/AP
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on Dec. 16 in Durham, N.H.
Reba Saldanha/AP
Former President Donald Trump won’t be on Maine’s primary ballot after the state’s secretary of state ruled he isn’t qualified.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows released a 34-page ruling on Thursday evening stating that Trump’s primary election petition is “invalid.”
“I find the declaration on his candidate form is false because he is not qualified to hold off of the President under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment [of the U.S. Constitution],” Bellows stated in her decision.
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, sometimes called the insurrection clause, declares that no one who has engaged in an insurrection or rebellion against the United States can hold state or federal office, including the office of the president. It was originally written post-Civil War to prevent Confederate rebels from holding elected office.
This ruling is the third state decision in the past week declaring whether or not Trump can appear on a primary ballot. Colorado’s Supreme Court said he could not, citing the same section of the Constitution. Michigan’s Supreme Court ruled that he can appear on that state’s primary ballot as the Court there believes it cannot rule on the merits on Trump’s candidacy unless and until he is the Republican Party’s nominee.
This story will be updated.