Case challenging Trump ballot access dies at Oregon Supreme Court

The Oregon Supreme Court will not hear the case challenging former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to appear on the state’s ballot in this year’s presidential election. 

The court turned down the opportunity to hear the case, citing a lack of authority to handle the issue in the primary stage. 

“Today, the Oregon Supreme Court declined to hear, for now, a challenge by five Oregon voters (relators) seeking to preclude Donald J. Trump from appearing on the Oregon 2024 Republican primary and general election ballots,” a media release from the court announced Friday.

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Democrats in a handful of states across the U.S. are in the midst of legal battles to remove Trump’s name from state ballots, saying Trump’s actions on January 6, 2021, violated a clause in the 14th Amendment that prevents anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the Constitution from holding political office.

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The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether former President Trump will be on the Colorado Republican presidential primary ballot. 

The justices said they will hear the case on an expedited basis, with arguments on February 8.

“The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted. The case is set for oral argument on Thursday, February 8, 2024,” the SCOTUS decision said. “Petitioner’s brief on the merits, and any amicus curiae briefs in support or in support of neither party, are to be filed on or before Thursday, January 18, 2024.”

The SCOTUS justices issued an administrative stay that ordered the Colorado Secretary of State to put the former president’s name on the GOP primary ballot, at least until the case is decided.

The state supreme court left the door open to future petitions following an expected decision from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the removal of candidates from the ballot under the 14th Amendment clause.

 

The Oregon court’s media release said: “Because a decision by the United States Supreme Court regarding the Fourteenth Amendment issue may resolve one or more contentions that relators make in the Oregon proceeding, the Oregon Supreme Court denied their petition for mandamus, by order, but without prejudice to their ability to file a new petition seeking resolution of any issue that may remain following a decision by the United States Supreme Court.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.