California Democrat Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Allow Trump on GOP Presidential Primary Ballot: "I Must Be Better"

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber stated that she must surpass Trump in her performance.

California Democrat Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Allow Trump on GOP Presidential Primary Ballot: "I Must Be Better"
California Democrat Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Allow Trump on GOP Presidential Primary Ballot: "I Must Be Better"

Despite pressure to remove him, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber will include former President Trump on the state's primary ballot.

Although Weber considers Trump's actions "abhorrent and disturbing and an attack on democracy," she feels bound by the rule of law to include him on her state's primary ballot.

If I believe in this democracy, I must continue to follow the rule of law, and if I don't, I am no better than Trump, Weber said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times on Friday.

The Secretary of State stated that he/she must excel in performance compared to Trump.

And I must be better than Trump. — California Secretary of State Shirley Weber

Donald Trump wearing a red make america great again hat
Former President Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images/File)

Trump's removal from the state's primary ballot was a topic of discussion for Weber and her office, who collaborated with other state and local officials for several months to determine the legality of such an action.

In the interview with the Los Angeles Times, it was determined that the state constitution does not grant her the authority to remove Trump from the ballot.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber  (Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images/File)

After receiving a letter from Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis on Dec. 20, urging her to consider all legal options to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential primary ballot in California, her decision to "follow the rule of law" was made.

In her follow-up letter to Kounalakis, Weber emphasized the importance of prioritizing the "sanctity" of democratic elections over "partisan politics."

"As the chief elections officer of California, I am responsible for ensuring the integrity of the democratic process and upholding the sanctity of free and fair elections."

Kounalakis' team was accused by Weber of employing "every possible means" to investigate the legality of removing Trump from the state's primary ballot.

"The lieutenant governor's statement, 'Use every means possible,' is unclear to me because we have already been doing so," Weber explained. "I haven't disclosed that information to her because she hasn't inquired about it."

Shirley Weber
"As California's chief elections officer, I am the steward of free and fair elections and the democratic process," Weber wrote.  (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli/File)

Gov. Gavin Newsom concurred with Weber's views, stating last week that "we triumph over candidates through voting."

"In California, we defeat candidates at the polls, as there is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy, as Newsom stated."

"Everything else is a political distraction," Newsom said.

Former President Donald Trump
Weber's move follows Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows' decision Thursday to remove Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)

According to Planet Chronicle, Trump plans to challenge the recent ballot decisions in Colorado and Maine on Tuesday.

The decision by Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to remove Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot was based on the insurrection clause of the Constitution.

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled last week that Trump is ineligible to run for president under the Constitution's insurrection clause, stating that his actions contributed to the deadly January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing protesters seeking to disrupt the certification of President Biden's 2020 election victory.

The ruling in Colorado was appealed by the Republican Party on Tuesday, which halted the court's decision and kept Trump on the ballot.

The U.S. Supreme Court is likely to make the final decision.

by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,Bill Melugin

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