Maine's secretary of state is appealing to the state Supreme Court a lawsuit aimed at keeping former President Donald Trump from voting.
Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows announced Friday that she will appeal to the state's highest judicial court seeking a ruling on a previous decision to remove Trump from the ballot.
“Like many Americans, I welcome the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Colorado as it provides guidance on the important Fourteenth Amendment issues in this case,” Bellows said. he said.
Maine High Court suspends state's decision to exclude Trump from primary ballot
Democratic Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows; (Jon Patrikin/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
President Trump appealed Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows' decision earlier this month, but the court said Wednesday it would not consider the issue until the high court issues its own ruling in a related case in Colorado. , called the issue “frivolous.” The court will issue a decision by then.
But Bellows is asking the Maine Supreme Court to issue a preemptive ruling on the legality of the former president's disqualification.
“In the meantime, Maine law provides an opportunity to seek review from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, which I requested today. Both the constitutional and state authority issues are important to many. We know this is a serious concern,” Bellows said of the ongoing effort.
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He added, “This appeal gives Maine's Supreme Court an opportunity to weigh in now, before votes are counted, promoting confidence in free and safe elections.”
In December, Colorado Supreme Court Trump was disqualified from appearing on the state's ballot in 2024.
Former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump applauds at a watch party during the 2024 Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus in Des Moines, Iowa. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
The disqualification was made under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and is related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
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“We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” the court's majority wrote. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the issues before us and, equally, without fear or favor, we will respond to the public response to the decisions that the law requires us to make. We are also mindful of our solemn obligation to apply the law without being swayed by reaction.”
Following Colorado's decision, more than a dozen states have challenged President Trump's eligibility to appear on primary and general election ballots.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
