2024-01-02 08:00:00
States with challenges to Trump’s candidacy
Trump disqualified, decision appealed
Challenge dismissed or rejected
Alaska
Ariz.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Of the.
Fla.
Idaho
Ill.
Ind.
Able to.
The.
Maine
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Mont.
Nev.
N.H.
NJ
N.M.
N.Y.
N.C.
Okla.
Ore.
Pa.
R.I.
S.C.
Texas
Utah
Vt.
Va.
Wash.
W.Va.
Wis.
Wyo.
Formal challenges to Donald J. Trump’s presidential candidacy have been filed in at least 36 states, according to a New York Times review of court records and other documents.
Mr. Trump has been disqualified from the primary ballots in Colorado, Illinois and Maine, and has appealed those decisions. Because of those appeals, he is still likely to appear on primary ballots in those states, at least for now. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Colorado appeal on Feb. 8 in a case that might determine Mr. Trump’s eligibility for the ballot nationally. Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared skeptical of the reasoning used to disqualify Mr. Trump. It is not clear when they will issue a ruling.
The ballot challenges focus on whether Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat make him ineligible to hold the presidency once more. Those cases are based on a largely untested clause of a constitutional amendment enacted following the Civil War that disqualifies government officials who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.
Of the 36 states where challenges have been filed, President Biden carried 22 in 2020 and Mr. Trump carried 14. Mr. Trump also won a single electoral vote in Maine, which splits its votes by congressional district.
The Colorado Supreme Court and Maine’s secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, each found Mr. Trump ineligible under that provision. Mr. Trump, who is leading in Republican primary polls, has appealed those decisions, and his campaign has described the attempts to remove him from the ballot as unconstitutional and antidemocratic.
A judge in Maine stayed Mr. Trump’s disqualification and ordered Ms. Bellows, a Democrat, to revisit the issue following the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the Colorado case. Ms. Bellows appealed the judge’s order, but her appeal was dismissed.
Several judges have dismissed cases at the request of Mr. Trump or the request of the person who filed the challenge. The Michigan and Minnesota Supreme Courts have each said Mr. Trump is eligible to appear on the primary ballot in those states.
Status of challenges in each state
Jump to a state…AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasLouisianaMaineMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMontanaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Alaska
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit in Federal District Court was dismissed by a judge.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Arizona
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at Mr. Trump’s request. An appeal of that case is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with some filings due in March.
Winner in 2020: Biden
California
Challenge unresolved
Lawsuits filed in federal district courts in Los Angeles and Sacramento were dismissed. Lawsuits filed in state courts in Alameda County and Los Angeles County are pending.
Several state legislators encouraged the California attorney general to seek a court opinion on whether Mr. Trump might appear on the ballot.
California’s lieutenant governor asked the secretary of state “to explore every legal option to remove” Mr. Trump from the primary ballot. The secretary of state has included Mr. Trump on the list of candidates approved for the ballot.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Colorado
Trump disqualified, decision appealed
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Trump was ineligible to appear on the ballot because of the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering an appeal of the Colorado ruling and heard arguments on Feb. 8. Because of the appeal, Mr. Trump will appear on the state’s primary ballot on March 5.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Connecticut
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Delaware
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Florida
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in West Palm Beach was dismissed but is being appealed. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, and the case is now pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
A lawsuit filed in State Circuit Court in Broward County is pending.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Fort Lauderdale was dismissed.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Idaho
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Illinois
Trump disqualified, decision appealed
A Democratic state judge in Illinois ruled on Feb. 28 that Mr. Trump had engaged in insurrection and was ineligible to appear on the state’s primary ballot.
The judge, Tracie R. Porter of the State Circuit Court in Cook County, said the State Board of Elections had erred in rejecting a challenge to Mr. Trump’s candidacy.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers appealed her decision to the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Porter stayed her order until the appeal is resolved, allowing Mr. Trump to remain on the ballot for now.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Indiana
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A challenge was rejected by the Indiana Election Commission.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Kansas
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Louisiana
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in State District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Maine
Trump disqualified, decision appealed
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, disqualified Mr. Trump from the primary ballot. Mr. Trump appealed her decision in Superior Court in Kennebec County. A state judge stayed the disqualification and ordered Ms. Bellows to revisit the issue following the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the Colorado appeal. Ms. Bellows appealed the judge’s decision to the Maine Law Court, but her appeal was dismissed.
Winner in 2020: Biden (3/4) Trump (1/4)
Massachusetts
Challenge unresolved
The Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission dismissed citizen complaints challenging Mr. Trump’s eligibility. An appeal of that decision was rejected by a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, though lawyers for the objectors have appealed to the full court.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Michigan
Challenge dismissed or rejected
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that Mr. Trump might appear on the primary ballot. The Michigan Supreme Court declined to take up the case.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Minnesota
Challenge dismissed or rejected
The Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block Mr. Trump from the primary ballot.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Montana
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Nevada
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed by a judge.
Winner in 2020: Biden
New Hampshire
Challenge unresolved
Two lawsuits in Federal District Court were dismissed. The dismissal of one of those cases was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. An appeal of the other case is pending in the First Circuit.
Winner in 2020: Biden
New Jersey
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request. A lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Mercer County was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Biden
New Mexico
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit in Federal District Court was dismissed at Mr. Trump’s request. The plaintiff has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
Winner in 2020: Biden
New York
Challenge unresolved
Some state legislators asked the State Board of Elections to exclude Mr. Trump from the ballot. The Republicans on the board, who decide the makeup of their party’s primary ballot, rejected those requests and included Mr. Trump on the list of candidates. An objection to that decision has been filed and is now pending. A lawsuit challenging the decision is also pending in a state trial court in Albany County.
A separate lawsuit is pending in Federal District Court in New York City.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Albany was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Biden
North Carolina
Challenge unresolved
The North Carolina Board of Elections placed Mr. Trump on the ballot despite a citizen complaint. That citizen then filed a lawsuit in state court in Wake County asking a judge to order the Board of Elections to consider his complaint. That lawsuit is pending.
A separate lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Oklahoma
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Oregon
Challenge dismissed or rejected
The Oregon Supreme Court rejected a challenge to Mr. Trump’s candidacy and said it would wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in the Colorado case. If the U.S. Supreme Court ruling leaves eligibility questions unresolved, the Oregon court said challengers in that state might file once more.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Pennsylvania
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Rhode Island
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A federal district judge dismissed a lawsuit and ruled in favor of Mr. Trump.
Winner in 2020: Biden
South Carolina
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit is pending in Federal District Court, where a judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Mr. Trump from the state’s ballot. An appeal of that decision is pending with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Texas
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit is pending in Federal District Court.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Utah
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Vermont
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed by a judge.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Virginia
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit is pending in State Circuit Court in Richmond.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Washington
Challenge dismissed or rejected
A judge in State Superior Court in Thurston County rejected a challenge on Jan. 18.
A judge declined to rule on a separate challenge filed in State Superior Court in Kitsap County.
Winner in 2020: Biden
West Virginia
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed but has been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Winner in 2020: Trump
Wisconsin
Challenge unresolved
Two lawsuits are pending in State Circuit Court in Dane County. Oral arguments in one case are scheduled for March 18.
A citizen complaint to the Wisconsin Elections Commission was dismissed without being considered.
Winner in 2020: Biden
Wyoming
Challenge unresolved
A lawsuit filed in State District Court in Albany County was dismissed by a judge. An appeal of that decision is pending with the Wyoming Supreme Court.
Winner in 2020: Trump
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