Maine’s Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has decided to remove former president Donald Trump (R) from the state’s ballot.
According to Secretary Bellows, “Mr. Trump's primary petition is invalid.” She claims that the former president is “not qualified” to become President of the United States under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Bellows cited the capital riots on January 6, 2021, as a major reason for booting the former president from the ballot.
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“I conclude… that the record establishes that Mr. Trump, over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power. I likewise conclude that Mr. Trump was aware of the likelihood for violence and at least initially supported its use given he both encouraged it with incendiary rhetoric and took no timely action to stop it," said Bellows.
Bellows mentions that she did not “reach this conclusion lightly” and that “democracy is sacred.” With this being said, she still insists that Trump be removed from the state's ballot.
The secretary of state finishes her press release by saying, “I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection. The oath I swore to uphold the Constitution comes first above all, and my duty under Maine’s election laws, when presented with a Section 336 challenge, is to ensure that candidates who appear on the primary ballot are qualified for the office they seek.”
This decision comes just a week after the state of Colorado decided to remove Trump from the state’s ballot. However, this decision has since been reversed following an appeal issued by Colorado’s Republican Party. A statement provided by Colorado's Secretary of State Jena Griswold's office says, “With the appeal filed, Donald Trump will be included as a candidate on Colorado’s 2024 Presidential Primary Ballot when certification occurs on January 5, 2024, unless the U.S. Supreme Court declines to take the case or otherwise affirms the Colorado Supreme Court ruling.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) took to social media, tweeting his frustrations with the Bellows' decision. “Democrats love ‘Democracy ™' so much that they will do ANYTHING to stop the voters from voting for their opponent,” the senator wrote.
Democrats love “Democracy™️” so much that they will do ANYTHING to stop the voters from voting for their opponent.#UtterHypocrites https://t.co/pEMpCmoF7b
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 29, 2023
Trump secured one electoral vote in Maine during the 2016 presidential election, and then again in the 2020 election. As of now, Trump still leads in Maine’s Republican Primary polls by 32 percentage points according to Real Clear Politics. Maine will hold a Republican primary on June 11, 2024.
