Four GOP voters initiated a lawsuit that led to Trump’s exclusion from the 2024 Colorado primary ballot.
The Colorado Supreme Court made a significant decision on Tuesday, disqualifying Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot. This ruling stemmed from the lawsuit, Anderson v. Griswold, filed in September by four Republicans and two independent voters. The legal action was based on the argument that Trump should be ineligible as a candidate under the Fourteenth Amendment, specifically Section 3, which prohibits individuals who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the U.S. Constitution from holding office.
The court’s 4-3 decision prompted swift condemnation from Republican lawmakers and is now positioned for potential review by the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in the case emphasized their goal of ensuring that GOP voters have access to candidates with the “utmost integrity,” as articulated by one of the lawyers involved in the lawsuit.
The six individuals who initiated the lawsuit include Norma Anderson, Michelle Priola, Claudine Cmarada, Krista Kafer, Kathi Wright, and Christopher Castilian. According to the lawsuit, all petitioners, except for Wright and Castilian, are Republican voters. Colorado law, as explained by Donald Sherman, the executive vice president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), mandates that individuals challenging a candidate’s placement in the Republican presidential primary must be Republicans or unaffiliated voters to have standing.
The selection of these petitioners wasn’t arbitrary; many of them have had notable involvement in politics or have been vocal advocates for their party. This legal action involves individuals with a significant connection to Colorado’s political landscape.
The primary plaintiff, 91-year-old Norma Anderson, holds a distinguished background as a former state legislator who served as a Republican in both Colorado’s House of Representatives and the state Senate. As highlighted by Donald Sherman, the executive vice president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Anderson’s longstanding affiliation with the Republican Party surpasses the legal careers of many involved in the case.
Another petitioner, Krista Kafer, contributes to the diversity of the group by being a professor and columnist for The Denver Post. Sherman notes that Kafer, who voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, expressed her decision in a pre-election column titled “Why this never-trumper is voting for Trump.”
Michelle Priola, not deeply involved in state politics, brings her unique perspective as the wife of Kevin Priola, a current member of the state Senate. Notably, Kevin Priola switched to the Democratic Party in 2022, condemning the January 6 riot and the Republican Party’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results.
Sherman emphasizes the significance of having petitioners with strong credentials within the party, stating, “I think for us and them, it was important that these weren’t just any old Republicans, but these were people who had unassailable bona fide in the party.”
Despite the Colorado Republican Party’s condemnation of the legal action, asserting collaboration between “Never-Trumpers, RINOs, and Democrats,” Sherman clarifies that the involved parties viewed their efforts not only as a matter of state law but also as a civic duty. He emphasizes their commitment to constitutional accountability and ensuring a primary in Colorado with the utmost integrity and qualified candidates, underscoring the importance of the court’s judicious decision.
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