Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the more moderate Republicans in Congress, said her state's decision to leave former President Donald Trump off the 2024 Republican primary ballot should be overturned.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, ruled Thursday that Trump's conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies from office those who engage in insurrection against the Constitution after taking an oath to support it.
Trump has never been charged with insurrection and has denied any responsibility for the events of Jan. 6.
The decision makes Maine the second state after Colorado to remove Trump from its GOP primary ballots.
"Maine voters should decide who wins the election — not a Secretary of State chosen by the Legislature," Collins posted Thursday on X. "The Secretary of State's decision would deny thousands of Mainers the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice, and it should be overturned."
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, also criticized Bellows' decision.
Maine is the only state in which ballot eligibility challenges go through the secretary of state rather than the court system. Trump's campaign said it will appeal Bellows' decision to the state courts. The Colorado Republican Party has appealed the state Supreme Court's decision to bar Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Trump's campaign is soon expected to do the same.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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