House Democrat From Maine Opposes His State’s Decision To Bar Trump From Ballot

A House Democrat from Maine broke with his own state’s decision on Thursday to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the 2024 primary ballot.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) declared his objection shortly after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, found Trump’s primary petition to be “invalid” on the view that the former president violated the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause due to his conduct leading up to the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.

“I voted to impeach Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th insurrection. I do not believe he should be re-elected as President of the United States,” Golden said in a statement. “However, we are a nation of laws, therefore until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot.”

My statement on the Maine Secretary of State's ruling: pic.twitter.com/ByO3XJe1JS

— Congressman Jared Golden (@RepGolden) December 29, 2023

Golden represents a congressional district that pulled for Trump in the past two presidential elections. Trump is seeking another term in the White House next year even as he tries to fight off a slew of criminal and civil cases, including one led by special counsel Jack Smith accusing the former president of unlawfully plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Maine’s other member of the House, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), seemed to approve of the ballot decision in her state.

“The text of the Fourteenth Amendment is clear. No person who engaged in an insurrection against the government can ever again serve in elected office,” she said on X. “On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump incited a violent mob to block Congress from certifying the Electoral College + overturn the 2020 presidential election. Our Constitution is the very bedrock of America and our laws and it appears Trump’s actions are prohibited by the Constitution.”

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Bellows delivered her decision shortly after another state, Colorado, allowed Trump to appear on its primary ballot following a GOP petition to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn a ruling that disqualified him. She also denied a request by Trump’s lawyers to have her recuse herself over concerns that social media posts showed bias against the former president.

“My decision is based exclusively on the record before me, and it has in no way been influenced by my political affiliation or personal views about the events of January 6, 2021,” Bellows said.

Steven Cheung, Trump campaign spokesman, said in a statement, “We will quickly file a legal objection in state court to prevent this atrocious decision in Maine from taking effect, and President Trump will never stop fighting to Make America Great Again.”

A top Republican official from Maine also chastised the decision to bar Trump from the primary ballot.

“Maine voters should decide who wins the election – not a Secretary of State chosen by the Legislature,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said in a post to X. “The Secretary of State’s decision would deny thousands of Mainers the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice, and it should be overturned.”