Another US state has banned Trump from running

The US state of Maine has banned former President Donald Trump from participating in state primaries. The corresponding decision was made by the State Secretary of State from the Democratic Party, Shanna Bellows, on Thursday, December 28, the Associated Press reports.

The reason is the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that no person shall hold office, civil or military, in the Government of the United States or in any State, while in office he has engaged in rebellion against on the Constitution (referring to Trump’s role in the events of January 6, 2021, when the Capitol was stormed).

Although Maine has only four electoral votes, it is one of two states that split them. Trump won Maine in 2020, so removing him from the ballot there if he becomes the GOP general election nominee could have a definite impact on the vote.

In deciding to exclude Trump from the primary, Bellows became the first election official to unilaterally make a decision that could have implications for the Electoral College.

Bellows said he made the decision after some in the state, including a bipartisan group of former lawmakers, challenged Trump’s position in the election.

“I did not take this decision lightly,” Bellows wrote. “Democracy is sacred… I recall no Secretary of State removing a presidential candidate from the ballot based on the third chapter of the Fourteenth Amendment. However, I also recall no presidential candidate participating in a insurrection before.”

Let’s remember that a week ago a court in Colorado made a similar decision about Trump. However, the state is less important to Republicans because Colorado always votes Democratic. Trump’s lawyers vowed to immediately challenge the decision in the US Supreme Court.

Judges who overthrew Trump in election threatened – CNN