Right on the heels of the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to bar Donald Trump’s name from appearing on the 2024 Republican Presidential primary ballot, Maine’s Secretary of State has followed suit, declaring Trump’s actions on and leading up to January 6, 2021 disqualify him from re-election.
In her 34-page decision, Shenna Bellows writes, “I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.”
Just like in the Colorado decision, Bellows issued a stay on her action, suspending the implementation of the decision until it inevitably makes its way through higher courts.
Still, the decision is a momentous one. Over and over, from impeachment to criminal and civil lawsuits, we’ve seen people hesitant to make Trump face consequences because it’s all so “unprecedented.” No one knows how to enforce a 150-year-old amendment about elected officials engaging in insurrection because they haven’t had to know.
I don’t hold out much hope for the largely Trump-appointed U.S. Supreme Court treating this issue seriously if and when it reaches them, but we are at least seeing necessary precedents being set across the country.
(featured image: Andy Manis/Getty Images)
