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Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the Maine presidential primary ballot in 2024, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said on Thursday.
It’s the latest decision on Trump’s ability to take office again under the 14th Amendment’s insurrectionist ban as similar challenges mount in states across the country.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump is disqualified, prompting an appeal from the state GOP to the U.S. Supreme Court, which can settle the issue nationwide if it takes up the Colorado case. The state ruling against Trump is on hold pending the outcome of his appeal, so he’ll likely still be on the Colorado primary ballot despite the decision against him.
Unlike in Colorado, for example, Maine’s secretary of state, rather than a judge, made the eligibility call. But like other states, that decision can be appealed through the state’s courts, so this isn’t necessarily the final word in Maine. On that note, Bellows put her ruling on hold from taking effect pending any appeal.
Bellows wrote that she was mindful that no secretary of state has made such a decision before, but she likewise noted that no presidential candidate had engaged in insurrection before, either.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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