In an unprecedented move, California is looking to be the next state to remove former President Trump from its 2024 ballot.
In a letter, California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis called on California Secretary of State Shirley Weber to look into "every legal option" in order to remove Trump following the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to state that the former president is ineligible to be on the ballot.
More from Kounalakis's letter:
Based on the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling … I urge you to explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California's 2024 presidential primary ballot. This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of democracy… time is of the essence as your announcement of the certified list of candidates for the March 5, 2024, primary election is coming up next week, on December 28, 2023. I am prompted by the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the state's ballot as a Presidential Candidate due to his role in inciting an insurrection in the US Capitol on January 6, 2021/ This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of our democracy. California must stand on the right side of history. California is obligated to determine if Trump is ineligible for the California ballot for the same reasons described in Anderson. The Colorado decision can be the basis for a similar decision here in our state. The constitution is clear: you must be 40 years old and not be an insurrectionist. There will be inevitable political punditry about a decision to remove Trump from the ballot, but this is not a matter of political gamesmanship. This is a dire matter that puts at stake the sanctity of our constitution and our democracy.
Kounalakis has urged Weber to decide on Trump's ballot eligibility by December 28, as the state is scheduled to finalize its primary candidates.
California Lt. Gov. @EleniForCA writes to Secretary of State Shirley Weber to “explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential primary ballot.”
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) December 20, 2023
Letter here: pic.twitter.com/HoGZdjLmNy
In addition, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is also seeking options on removing Trump from the state’s primary ballot. Last week, attorneys who are weighing options on banning the 45th president from the ballot argued with Trump's legal team at the State House hearing.
“The challengers have the burden of providing sufficient evidence to invalidate the petition,” Bellows’s office said in a statement. “At the hearing, there will be an opportunity for both the challengers and the candidate to present oral testimony of witnesses as well as additional documentary evidence and to make oral argument pertaining to the challenge in light of that evidence.”