Trump will not appear on Maine's primary ballot, secretary of state rules

Former President Donald Trump won't be on Maine's primary ballot after the state's secretary of state ruled he isn't qualified based on his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, 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.

Trump is expected to appeal both the Colorado and Maine decisions to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a statement Thursday, Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, called Bellows' decision an "attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter."

"We will quickly file a legal objection in state court to prevent this atrocious decision in Maine from taking effect," Cheung said.

This story will be updated. [Copyright 2023 NPR]