Illinois elections board says Trump staying on ballot after U.S. Supreme Court ruling

March 4, 2024 | By Catrina Peterson, The Center Square

Former President Donald Trump raises his fist as he leaves his apartment building Thursday, Jan. 25, in New York. | Photo courtesy of Center Square by Yuki Iwamura, AP

The Illinois State Board of Elections says former President Donald Trump is staying on the Illinois ballot despite being sued last week in a Cook County court.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed a win to the former Republican president Monday by ruling that states cannot kick him off the ballot over the violent protests on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Illinois State Board of Elections said despite a group of voters suing the board in Cook County where a judge ruled Trump off the ballot, the Supreme Court ruling means Trump will stay on the Illinois ballot.

“(Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter) stayed that decision pending all further court action, and what that covered was any appellate court action in the state appellate court and the Illinois state Supreme Court and also the United States Supreme Court,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich said the group of voters who sued to keep Trump off the ballot cannot sue the United States Supreme Court for their decision to keep Trump on the ballot.

“Once the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling, that is the final ruling,” Dietrich said.

The Illinois State Board of Elections kept Trump and President Joe Biden on the ballot despite objections.

At an unrelated event Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he believes Trump will lose in Illinois.

“We will beat him at the ballot box,” Pritzker said. “There is no reason why politically somebody should be thrown off the ballot. Having said that, there may be a constitutional reason and I wouldn’t opine about that. We’re going to win here in Illinois and beat Donald Trump.”

Pritzker said he thinks the U.S. Supreme Court ruling is good thing.

“I think it will help Democrats that he is on the ballot,” said Pritzker.

Illinois U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Hindsboro, applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision.

“This attempt by the left to remove the leading candidate from the ballot would have set a dangerous and anti-democratic precedent for our country,” Miller said in a statement.

Miller said voting for the candidate of someone’s choice is the most fundamental right in a system of self-government.

The Illinois Republican Party said the ruling is a “victory for voters.”

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling highlights what we’ve stated repeatedly, that previous decisions to remove President Trump from the ballot were made by activist judges and unelected bureaucrats pursuing their own partisan agenda,” said Don Tracy, Illinois Republican Party Chairman.

The primary is March 19.