GOP House Candidates May Be Wiped Out After Federal Court Rules Insurrectionists Can Be Barred From The Ballot

A recent federal appeals court ruling found that insurrectionists whether they are current officeholders or not can be barred from the ballot.

According to Bloomberg Law:

Candidates who take part in an insurrection may be barred from holding public office under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled, overturning a lower court judge’s decision.

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While the ruling is legally binding only in the states that make up the 4th Circuit — Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina — it could influence the outcome of legal challenges to multiple Republican House candidates tagged by critics for participating in events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

This ruling could also impact cases in other parts of the country involving Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andy Biggs, and Paul Gosar.

Here is a list of Republican House Candidates Who Could Be Kicked Off Of The Ballot

The DCCC provided PoliticusUSA with a list of Republican House challengers who have confirmed their participation in the insurrection and could be booted off of the ballot:

• WI-03 candidate Derrick Van Orden

• NV-04 candidate Annie Black

• OH-09 nominee JR Majewski

• NC-01 nominee Sandy Smith

• IA-03 candidate Gary Leffler

• NJ-03 candidate Ian Smith

Each of these candidates has bragged about their participation in the insurrection, and if their ballot status is challenged, they could be removed, despite the fact that they are not current officeholders.

The ruling that the 14 Amendment applies to candidates as well as incumbents could create chaos for Republicans around the country.

Voters who are fighting to protect democracy would be wise to keep the legal challenges coming.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association