The US Supreme Court handed down a decision Monday morning to Colorado Supreme Court ruling that former President Donald Trump cannot be barred from the ballot, just one day before presidential primary elections are to be held in the Centennial State.
In January, Speaker Tim Moore and Sen. Phil Berger joined an amicus brief, along with the Arizona legislature and 25 other state attorneys general, to keep Trump on the ballot, reported the Carolina Journal.
The unanimous ruling struck down the decision of the Colorado high court, which previously deemed Trump ineligible for the primary ballot and ruled that he was disqualified from the presidency under the Insurrection Clause, according to Roll Call.
The Colorado Supreme Court made its ruling on December 19. “The court stayed its decision until Jan. 4, or until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the case. Colorado officials say the issue must be settled by Jan. 5, the deadline for the state to print its presidential primary ballots,” reported the AP. The Colorado decision would not have allowed any write-in votes to be counted. Now that the decision has been reversed, voters can still write in Trump on their ballot, should he not appear there.
“We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” states the decision.
The North Carolina Republican Party applauded the ruling. In a statement. NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley, said, “Denying voters the right to vote for their preferred candidate goes against the ideals in which our country was founded and we strongly agree with the Supreme Court that the American people should have the final say on who leads them.”
North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson, R-NC8, who also serves as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), also reacted to the news.
“UNANIMOUS! Voters should decide who they want their president to be – full stop. Colorado’s attempt to bar President Trump from the ballot was an outrageous abuse of power that would’ve denied voters their right to choose their candidate. The Supreme Court rightfully ensured President Trump remains on the ballot,” posted Hudson on X.
Those reactions echo the sentiment from Moore earlier this year after filing the amicus.
“For any court to do this, including a federal court, is a rogue court by ruling someone ineligible to serve without any due process. This state court is getting involved in federal process and exceeding its constitutional authority,” Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, told CJ.
“Trump seems to have majority support, not only in the state, but across the nation,” Moore said.
“From poll numbers I have seen, the state is very supportive of President Trump. At the end of the day, it should be up to voters of every state to make that decision.”
Court rulings or executive actions in multiple states, including Colorado, Maine, and Illinois, had blocked Trump from the primary ballot, necessitating the legal ruling from the US Supreme Court.
A total of 16 states and one territory, including North Carolina, will host primary elections on Super Tuesday, March 5.