Newsom Dashes California Efforts to Keep Trump Off Ballot

California's lieutenant governor is among the Democrats looking for a way to keep Donald Trump off the state's primary ballot next year—given the court decision to block the former president in Colorado. But California's Democratic governor is not on board, Politico reports. "There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in message Friday, "but in California, we defeat candidates at the polls. Everything else is a political distraction."

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis had written to California's secretary of state—a letter that began, "Based on the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling..."—asking her to "explore every legal option" for keeping Trump off the March 5 ballot. "This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of democracy," wrote the Democrat, who wants to succeed Newsom, per the Hill. Others have similar ideas. A state senator said he'll introduce a bill to let Californians sue to keep ineligible candidates from appearing on the ballot. In September, Democratic legislators asked for a speedy ruling on the issue. (More Election 2024 stories.)