Introducing the Left-Wing Activist Politician Behind Trump's Removal from the Maine Ballot.
Maine's Democratic Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, who has a history as a left-wing activist and Democratic politician, made the decision to remove former President Trump from the state's 2024 election ballot. This move, executed under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, prevents individuals involved in an insurrection from running for office, despite Trump not having been charged with or convicted of such an offense.
Bellows assumed office as Maine's Secretary of State in January 2021, following two terms in the Maine Senate from 2016 to 2020. She was elected to her second term in January 2023, which is set to last for two years according to her official biography.
Before her tenure as Maine's Secretary of State, Bellows served as the executive director of Maine's American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) branch from 2005 to 2013. In 2014, she ran for the Senate but was defeated by the current Republican Maine Senator, Susan Collins, who publicly opposed Bellows' recent decision.
During her leadership at Maine's ACLU chapter, Bellows was an advocate for ranked-choice voting, same-sex marriage, and same-day voter registration. Her involvement with the ACLU began after the 9/11 attacks when she worked as an organizer at the organization's Washington, D.C. office, as seen in an archived bulletin.
Before her time with the ACLU, Bellows graduated from Middlebury College. She currently resides with her husband Brandon in Manchester, Maine, located in the central part of the state. Middlebury College is known for its progressive stance and has faced several controversies related to free speech on campus in recent years.
During her tenure as a state senator, Bellows represented areas of Kennebec County, located in southern Maine, and served as the chair of the Labor and Housing Committee. Prior to the 2020 presidential election, she publicly endorsed the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, emphasizing the need for America to regain its sense of civility.
In response to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Bellows labeled it an "insurrection" and advocated for the impeachment of then-President Trump based on his actions leading up to the event. In a social media postdated January 4, 2022, she emphasized the importance of upholding the fundamental right of every American citizen to vote freely and have their vote counted, emphasizing that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are foundational principles that should not be compromised.
On Thursday, she appeared on CNN to justify her "unprecedented" decision to exclude Trump from Maine's ballot, citing the ban on insurrectionists.
Bellows emphasized the unprecedented nature of her decision, stating, "No secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the 14th Amendment. But no presidential candidate has ever engaged in insurrection and been disqualified under Section Three of the 14th Amendment." These remarks mirrored an earlier press release from her office that explained the decision.
Maine became the second state to remove Trump from its presidential ballot, following a similar ruling by Colorado's supreme court on December 19. The Colorado Republican party is appealing this decision to the Supreme Court, allowing Trump to remain on the ballot until a final decision is reached.
Trump currently leads the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, according to the RealClearPolitics state and national polling averages.
Responding to Bellows' decision, Trump's campaign spokesman Steven Cheung criticized her as a "virulent leftist" and a "hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat," accusing her of interfering in the presidential election. Cheung stated, "We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter." He also announced plans to file a legal objection in state court to prevent the decision from taking effect, affirming Trump's commitment to continuing his efforts to "Make America Great Again."
Original article source Meet The Left-Wing Activist Politician Who Kicked Trump Off The Maine Ballot - STATIONGOSSIP
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