Lt. Gov. Wants California to Explore Removing Trump from Primary Ballot – GV Wire

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis has officially requested that the secretary of state consider removing former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot.

This request follows a recent ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court that disqualified Trump from appearing on the state’s primary ballot, citing his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as grounds for barring him from public office under the 14th Amendment.

Today I sent a letter urging @DrWeber4CA to explore every legal option to remove former President Trump from CA’s 2024 presidential primary ballot.

— Eleni Kounalakis (@EleniForCA) December 20, 2023

The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision, which is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, was based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. This section, enacted after the Civil War, prohibits former officeholders who have participated in insurrection or rebellion from serving in certain offices.

Kounalakis has urged for a swift decision on the matter, as the certified list of candidates for the March 5 primary election will be announced on Dec. 28. She has argued that the Colorado ruling could serve as a precedent for a similar decision in California.

You can read her letter at this link.

However, Jessica Millan Patterson, chair of the California Republican Party, has criticized Kounalakis’ request, accusing Democrats of attempting to limit the choices available to Republican voters. The Trump campaign and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber have not yet commented on the issue.

Related Story: Colorado Supreme Court Bans Trump from State’s Ballot Under Constitution’s …

The Colorado ruling originated from a lawsuit filed by four Colorado Republicans, who argued that Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results rendered him unfit for office. The lower court agreed that Trump had incited an insurrection, but disagreed that the 14th Amendment applied to the presidency. The Colorado Supreme Court upheld the first finding and reversed the second, leading to Trump’s disqualification from the ballot.

Read more at Courthouse News.