Martha Kropf and John Szmer discuss Colorado ballot ban ruling
Martha Kropf and John Szmer, professors in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, provided comments for ‘What does ruling banning Trump from Colorado ballot mean for NC voters?’ from the Carolina Public Press.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to disqualify former President Donald Trump from running again under the disqualification clause in the U.S. Constitution, which may have implications in North Carolina as well.
“It is possible for a similar case to be brought to a lower or state court in North Carolina,” Kropf said, but “it still may be a federal issue like the one in Colorado.”
However, courts have disagreed on the disqualification clause in the federal Constitution, so it is not the strongest legal argument. “There are possible implications for perceptions of the legitimacy of courts when they challenge the candidacy of somebody who has a very intense political following and is a perceived leader of a political party,” Szmer said.