The Michigan Supreme Court has recently issued a ruling, denying an effort to exclude former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot.
This development comes on the heels of a similar case in Colorado where the state’s Supreme Court decided to disqualify Trump from appearing on its ballots for the 2024 elections. The Colorado court made this decision with reference to the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, owing to the Capitol riot that took place on January 6, 2021.
Justice Elizabeth Welch, in her explanation of the Michigan court’s ruling, highlighted the significant differences between election laws in Colorado and Michigan. These differences, she noted, were directly relevant to why the appellants were not entitled to the relief they sought concerning Michigan’s presidential primary election.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social following the ruling, expressed his satisfaction with the court’s decision, stating that the Michigan Supreme Court had rightly denied the attempt by Democrats to remove him, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election, from Michigan’s ballot.
In the ruling, Welch explained that the appellants argued that political parties are state actors when it comes to nominating candidates for the presidential primary. Therefore, these parties should be subject to the United States Constitution. She also mentioned that the appellants notified the court about a majority ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court on December 19, 2023, which held Trump disqualified from holding presidential office under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The Colorado ruling, Welch noted, was based on extensive evidentiary proceedings in a trial court that built the factual record necessary to resolve complex legal questions. The effect of the Colorado decision has been temporarily stayed, and Trump has indicated his intention to appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
Despite the arguments presented, Welch stated that the appellants failed to identify any similar provision in Michigan Election Law that requires a presidential candidate to attest to their legal qualification to hold office.
In the wake of the ruling, Trump commented that attempts to rig the election have failed nationwide, even in states that lean heavily towards Democrats. He singled out Colorado as the only state to have succumbed to what he termed a scheme.
It’s worth noting that other lawsuits concerning Trump’s eligibility to appear on the ballot are ongoing in several other states, including Texas, Nevada, and Wisconsin. As these legal battles unfold, they will undoubtedly continue to shape the landscape of the 2024 Presidential Election.
