A little over a week ago, California's lieutenant governor revealed her plans to capitalize on the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to ban former President Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot. Writing to the California secretary of state, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis (D) urged the exploration of all legal options to purge Trump from the 2024 Republican primary ballot.
“The constitution is clear: you must be 35 years old and not an insurrectionist,” a corrected version of Kounalakis' letter to her subordinate read.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) followed similar logic and single-handedly precipitated the removal of former President Donald Trump's name from the state's Republican primary ballot.
Hours later, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) made known her interpretation of Trump's eligibility to run for public office under the 14th Amendment.
The Los Angeles Times noted that Weber's decision came with little fanfare after days of intense speculation. She merely had Trump's name included in her office's list of qualified candidates sent to county officials on Thursday:
In her Dec. 22 response to Kounalakis, Weber said removing Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment “is not something my office takes lightly and is not as simple as the requirement that a person be at least 35 years old to be president.”
She also noted her office is involved in multiple lawsuits regarding Trump's appearance on the ballot.
Weber's office could not immediately be reached for comment.
Weber's decision affects a state with a population 30 times larger than Maine's and 169 GOP delegates that are crucial to winning the Republican Party's presidential nomination.
According to recent polls, Trump is currently leading with over 50% support in California's primary election. The state's Republican Party recently updated its rules, stating that if a candidate manages to secure more than 50% of the primary vote, they will receive all 169 delegates.
The California presidential primary election is scheduled for March 5, 2024.
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