Minnesota voters petition state Supreme Court to block Trump from 2024 ballot

(KSTP) – A group of Minnesota voters has filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court in an attempt to block former President Donald Trump from appearing on state ballots in the 2024 election.

The group, which includes former state representative and DFL Secretary of State Joan Growe as well as retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson, filed its petition Tuesday, saying the 14th Amendment’s “Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause” bars Trump from holding public office.

That clause states anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” shall be able to hold any public office.

Groups in other states have filed similar challenges. In Colorado, the case was recently moved to federal court. Trump’s campaign on Tuesday sent a message about another challenge in New Hampshire to that state’s secretary of state, saying, “There is no legal basis for these claims to hold up in any legitimate court of law.”

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon released a statement last week, noting his office “has received hundreds of emails, calls, and letters regarding a legal argument that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution calls into question the eligibility of former President Donald Trump to run for office again.”

Simon said his office “does not have legal authority to investigate a candidate’s eligibility for office” and, therefore, the names of candidates submitted to the state on time will appear on the ballot, “unless a court says otherwise.”

“Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 204B.44) allows one or more people to challenge in court the eligibility of a candidate to appear on a ballot. Our office will continue to honor the outcome of that process, as we have in the past,” Simon’s statement added.

On Tuesday, Sec. Simon’s office said it was notified of the lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court asking to disqualify for President Trump from running for office in Minnesota. The statement went on to read, “for the sake of Minnesota voters, we hope the court resolves this issue to allow for orderly administration of the elections in 2024.”

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Jan. 6 committee found that Trump “lit that fire” of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.