Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson on Thursday ruled Trump should remain on the state’s election ballots

Brett Davis
The Center Square Washington

Voters in Washington state will see Donald Trump’s name on the March 12 primary ballot as a presidential candidate.

That’s because Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson on Thursday ruled Trump should remain on the state’s election ballots, rejecting a bid by a group of voters who contended the former president engaged in an insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol and was ineligible to be president.

“An order directing the secretary of state to take different action, an order from this court, is simply not supported by the statutes and not supported by the affidavit of the electors,” Wilson said in her ruling.

Wilson’s dismissal of the ballot challenge to Trump as a candidate followed a dismissal by a Kitsap County court on Tuesday.

“I am grateful that Judge Wilson ruled in such a timely and well-considered fashion, and that she recognized that I and my staff have been working in full compliance with state law governing the Presidential Primary,” Secretary Steve Hobbs said in a news release. “We will continue working with our partners in county elections offices to get all the necessary materials for this election to every Washington voter.”

Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, applauded the decision on social media.

“Some people will say this is about Trump, we say it’s about the democratic process,” Walsh, chair of the Washington State Republican Party, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “And a win for democracy today.”

The challenge is one of several across the nation arguing Trump should be kicked off the ballot.

The Colorado Supreme Court issued a decision to remove Trump from the ballot. Maine’s top election official removed Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot.

Trump appealed Colorado’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will take up the case next month. Maine’s case was appealed in the state’s Superior Court, and the justice assigned to the case issued a ruling Wednesday to defer judgment until the nation’s highest court weighs in.

This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.