Former President Donald Trump’s candidacy for the Republican primary is now being challenged in Illinois.
The Chicago Sun Times reports that 5 voters working with a voting rights organization formally objected to the former president’s nominating petitions today on the grounds that he helped engineer the January 6th, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.
According to the filings obtained by the Times and WBEZ, the five individuals argue that Trump’s name should be removed from both the primary and general election ballots on the grounds that he violated the “insurrectionist clause” in the 14th Amendment.
The Illinois State Board of Elections has publicly questioned its authority to invoke the clause as a basis to remove any candidate from the ballot. The State Board of Elections has said in the past that the Illinois Supreme Court or the General Assembly to resolve the question.
The five individuals are said to be from Chicago, Lindenhurst, Fairview Heights, and Colfax and are being represented by the organization Free Speech for People, and two Chicago law firms.
15th District Congresswoman Mary Miller responded on X (formerly known as Twitter) yesterday calling it a political hit by Democrats: “Leftwing activists are trying to REMOVE PRESIDENT TRUMP FROM THE BALLOT in Illinois. Democrats across the country are attacking our democracy by trying to take away your right to vote for President Trump because he is leading Joe Biden in the polls. They know Trump will defeat Biden in a free & fair election. Democrats are embracing banana republic tactics by trying to jail their political opponents and throw them off the ballot. If JB Pritzker and Joe Biden actually believe in democracy, they will stand with the voters who oppose these CORRUPT efforts to remove President Trump from the ballot! State Board of Elections should reject immediately!”
Lawsuits seeking to block Trump from the ballot because of the insurrection clause are pending in 15 other states, with Colorado and Maine the first states already barring Trump from the ballot. Both of those state’s removal are being taken up on appeal in the courts. Elsewhere, Minnesota and Michigan have decided that the former president can remain on the primary ballot, but have left open the possibility he could have his candidacy challenged for the general election.