
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber last Thursday announced that she would not remove Donald Trump from the Republican primary ballot in the state despite a request from the state’s Lieutenant Governor, CBS News reported.
Before Christmas, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis seized on the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove Trump from the primary ballot to call for Weber to do the same in California.
In an open letter to Secretary of State Weber, Kounalakis argued that removing Trump from the California ballot would honor “the rule of law” and protect “the fundamental pillars of democracy.”
While other top Democrat officials in the state echoed Kounalakis’ request to remove Trump from the ballot, California Governor Gavin Newsom publicly opposed the move, arguing that Trump should be defeated at the ballot box.
Weber issued a response to Kounalakis’ request at the time but did not indicate whether or not she would remove Trump, saying instead that her final decision would be guided by a “commitment to and respect for the rule of law.”
Weber said at the time that the decision to remove a candidate under Section Three of the 14th Amendment would not be something her office “takes lightly” and added the provision is “not as simple” as the constitutional requirement that a presidential candidate be at least 35 years old.
In making her final decision last Thursday, Weber did not release a statement explaining her decision except to say that Trump would remain on the primary ballot in California.
Weber’s decision came the same day Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced that she would unilaterally remove Trump from the Maine primary ballot.
In her statement, the Democrat Bellows argued that the Constitution “does not tolerate an assault on the foundations of our government” and she was required to act by law.
At the same time, Bellows said her decision would be suspended until after “the Superior Court rules on any appeal” or until the time to file an appeal “has expired.”