In New York, a coalition of state senators has urged election officials to bar former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state’s presidential primary and general election ballots in response to his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. This initiative, detailed in a letter to the New York State Board of Elections, aligns with an ongoing legal challenge in Colorado’s Supreme Court.
The letter, spearheaded by Senators Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Liz Krueger, and others, emphasizes Trump’s perceived violation of the Constitution’s “Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause.” It argues that Trump’s actions during the Capitol siege render him ineligible for public office, pending relief from this disqualification by a two-thirds congressional majority.
This movement follows a House committee’s investigation into the January 6 insurrection, which concluded that Trump incited the violence resulting in multiple deaths. Trump, who faces numerous criminal charges and lawsuits, has maintained his innocence.
The senators’ appeal to the Board of Elections’ co-chairs, Peter Kosinski and Douglas Kellner, likens Trump’s situation to that of other ineligible candidates, such as those underage or not natural-born citizens. They stress the urgency of resolving this issue before the upcoming primary election.
While the New York Board of Elections, responsible for determining candidate eligibility, has not yet responded, the letter reflects a broader national debate on Trump’s eligibility. The Colorado Supreme Court is currently considering whether the 14th Amendment’s provisions, traditionally associated with the Civil War era, should disqualify Trump from returning to the Oval Office. This case, brought forward by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, follows a district court judge’s ruling acknowledging Trump’s involvement in the insurrection but declining to remove him from the ballot.
Attempts to exclude Trump from ballots in other states, including Michigan and Arizona, have so far been unsuccessful. Trump’s legal representative in the Colorado case, Scott Gessler, has not commented on this latest development.
Senator Hoylman-Sigal expressed the coalition’s intent to closely monitor the Board of Elections’ response, indicating potential legal actions if Trump is permitted on the ballot. This situation highlights a significant constitutional and legal challenge at the intersection of national politics and election law.
