Trump to Stay on Massachusetts Primary Ballot, State Supreme Court Judge Rules

Former President Donald Trump will stay on the primary election ballot in Massachusetts after a judge on the state’s Supreme Judicial Court denied a bid to disqualify the candidate on Monday. Supreme Judicial Court Justice Frank Gaziano upheld the State Ballot Law Commission’s decision last week to dismiss the challenge on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction. Justice Gaziano, who was appointed by former Gov. Charlie Baker, wrote in the court’s decision on Monday that the challenge came “too soon” in the election cycle, as President Trump is not yet the GOP nominee. “Significantly, for purposes of the commission’s jurisdiction …, Trump’s place on the ballot was not secured through the submission of nomination papers, nor, at this stage, is he the subject of any certificate of nomination or a nominee. … Because Trump’s appearance on the primary ballot is not pursuant to ‘nomination papers,’ this provision does not apply,” Justice Gaziano wrote (pdf) in his decision....