In a latest development concerning the 2024 US presidential race, Maine’s leading election official has decided to disqualify Donald Trump from featuring on the state ballot during the upcoming primary elections. This move follows his alleged involvement in the Capitol attack of January 6, 2021.

According to reports from Reuters, Shenna Bellows, the Maine Secretary of State affiliated with the Democratic Party, decided to bar Trump from participating in next year’s primary election. This action marks the second state to prevent the former president from inclusion due to his purported role in the Capitol unrest.

Bellows stated that Trump, considered a frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024, incited an insurrection by propagating baseless allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election. She noted that Trump's subsequent call for his supporters to march on the Capitol to obstruct the certification of the election results further supported this decision.

However, Bellows suspended her ruling pending a judgment from the state's supreme court on the matter.

The decision was prompted by claims made by a group of former Maine lawmakers who cited a clause in the US Constitution. This clause prohibits individuals from holding public office if they have previously engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" after having sworn allegiance to the country.

This disqualification specifically affects Trump's participation in the March primary election, but its implications could extend to his eligibility for the November general election. This decision is anticipated to intensify the pressure on the US Supreme Court to address nationwide concerns regarding Trump’s eligibility, as reported by the state media.

Despite facing federal and Georgian indictments for attempting to influence the 2020 election, Trump has not been formally charged with insurrection in connection to the January 6 attack. Despite these legal challenges, Trump maintains a significant lead in opinion polls for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Apart from Maine, Colorado’s highest court previously disqualified Trump from appearing on the state primary ballot on December 19, marking a historic moment where a candidate has been deemed ineligible for the presidency due to their involvement in insurrection.

Trump has expressed intentions to challenge the Colorado ruling in the Supreme Court and criticized such ballot challenges as undermining democracy. Simultaneously, the Colorado Republican Party filed its own appeal with the Supreme Court.

Efforts to disqualify Trump in other states have been unsuccessful. Recently, the top court in Michigan, a crucial swing state in the general election, declined to hear an appeal regarding Trump's eligibility to hold office.

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