The federal government doesn't have a ban on convicted felons running for president, but at least one state does, according to a Washington state writer.
Donald Trump was convicted on 34 charges in his hush money cover-up case in New York, yet he has continued raising money and is still barreling toward the 2024 rematch election with President Joe Biden. But he likely won't be on the ballot in Washington, according to Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat's analysis.
"If local Republicans knew what was good for them, they would now move to drop Donald Trump from Washington’s fall ballot," he said, adding that there is now yet "another reason to dump Trump from the Washington ballot."
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"If Republicans don’t do it, somebody else probably will," the writer said on Saturday.
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Westneat goes on to note that "Washington has a law on the books against convicted felons running for office."
"It was first established back when Washington was a territory, in 1865, that anyone convicted of 'infamous crimes' could be blocked from holding elected office. That was modified in 1959, and then again more recently, to the scheme we have today," the writer added. "Any registered voter can 'challenge the right of a candidate to appear on the general election ballot' for any of five causes, state law says. One of those causes is flashing in bold neon lights today: 'Because the person whose right is being contested was, previous to the election, convicted of a felony by a court of competent jurisdiction, the conviction not having been reversed nor the person’s civil rights restored after the conviction.'"
He went on to issue a warning:
"Hoo boy. Republicans: You sure you want to go down this road?" he asked. "It seems possible that under Washington state law, there would be no name listed on ballots as a Republican candidate for president in November. If so, it will be because the party’s chosen candidate was too much of a disgrace to even meet the minimum state standards."