AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s Democratic secretary of state said Wednesday she would not rule on former President Donald Trump’s eligibility for the state’s 2024 ballot until next week, citing a landmark Colorado ruling against Trump.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had been set to rule on challenges to the former president’s Republican primary ballot status by a state deadline this Friday. Formal aspects of a hearing held on his eligibility last Friday dragged into this week, pushing the upcoming state deadline back.
The main reason for the delay is Tuesday’s ruling by Colorado Supreme Court, which overturned a lower court’s decision by saying Trump is ineligible for the ballot under the section of the 14th Amendment that bars people from holding office if they “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the country.
That was a 4-3 ruling from an all-Democratic court. It is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority cemented by three Trump appointees. On Wednesday, Bellows gave lawyers for Trump and those challenging him in Maine until 8 p.m. Thursday to file briefs arguing how much bearing the Colorado ruling should have here.
The major Maine challenge came from former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling and former state Sens. Tom Saviello of Wilton and Kim Rosen of Bucksport. Strimling is a progressive Democrat, while Rosen is a Republican and Saviello most recently served in state office as a Republican but is a former Democrat and now is an independent.
Their argument largely mirrors the one made successfully in Colorado. The 14th Amendment was passed after the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of federal office and has rarely been used in the modern era. While the lower court there ruled the amendment does not apply to the presidency, the high court disagreed.
Saviello said the decision should make it easier for Bellows to rule for the challengers, noting that she does not have to be the first to make such a decision now. Judges in several other states had turned back similar cases before the Colorado ruling.
“Ultimately the Supreme Court is going to decide but until that’s done, ‘Donald Trump you can’t be on the ballot,’” Saviello said, summing up an argument he thought Bellows should make.
In Maine last week, Trump’s lawyers argued that Bellows lacked the power to leave Trump off the ballot. Her decision can be appealed to state courts. Trump’s campaign has assailed the Colorado ruling as well and promised to appeal it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This ruling, issued by the Colorado Supreme Court, attacks the very heart of this nation’s democracy,” Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba said Tuesday. “It will not stand, and we trust that the Supreme Court will reverse this unconstitutional order.”
