Donald Trump

California secretary of state leaves Donald Trump on primary ballot amid calls to remove him

Secretary of State Shirley Weber faced political pressure to reject Trump’s candidacy in the state, including from Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis

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Donald Trump will be on California’s March primary ballot.

In California, which has the largest trove of delegates in the 2024 presidential contest, Trump was included on the certified list of candidates released Thursday for the state’s March 5 primary.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber faced political pressure to reject Trump’s candidacy in the state, including from Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a fellow Democrat who urged her in a Dec. 20 letter to “explore every legal option” to remove the former president from the California ballot. Weber later responded that she was guided by “the rule of law,” and indicated the proper venue to resolve ballot challenges was in the courts.

Earlier Thursday, Maine officials removed Trump from the state’s ballot.

It follows what happened in Colorado, where the state's Supreme Court also ruled to remove Trump. Both states cite a clause from the constitution that prevents insurrectionists from holding office.

The decision can still be appealed. However, most legal experts believe the U.S. Supreme Court will settle the issue for the entire country.

There is an effort at the highest levels of government in California to remove Donald Trump‘s name from next year’s ballot. Terry McSweeney reports.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.

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