Lt. Gov. urges CA to follow Colorado's move to keep Trump off primary ballot

Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis is urging California's Secretary of State to explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California's 2024 presidential primary ballot.

The request follows Colorado's Supreme Court ruling Tuesday, which ordered the former president's name to be excluded from the state's Republican presidential primary ballot.

Colorado's Supreme Court based the exclusion order on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies those who engage in insurrection.

The landmark decision under the Civil War-era provision is unprecedented, and it marks the first time a court has found him to be ineligible to return to the White House due to his conduct surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Never before has a court determined that a presidential candidate is disqualified under the clause.

Kounalakis said California must stand on the right side of history, and follow Colorado. "The Colorado decision can be the basis for a similar decision here in our state. The constitution is clear: you must be 35 years old and not be an insurrectionist," Kounalakis wrote.

The Lt. Governor also urged an expedited decision at the certified list of candidates for the March 5, 2024 primary election is next week, Dec. 28.

Trump will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, a spokesman for his campaign said.