A Democrat-appointed judge has allowed a lawsuit to remove former President Donald Trump from the state ballot in 2024 to move forward by denying a motion by Trump to throw out the case. 

District Court Judge Sarah Wallace, appointed earlier this year by Governor Jared Polis (D), dismissed Trump's motion but did not rule on the merits of the case. Another motion to dismiss the case is still pending.

Colorado is one of a few states with lawsuits seeking to invoke a clause in the 14th Amendment to bar Trump from the ballot.

The clause bans anyone who has “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office.

He was acquitted

Trump has not been convicted of insurrection and was acquitted of such by the U.S. Senate, so it's not clear what grounds these states have to take him off the ballot.

He is the frontrunner by far for the GOP nomination in 2024, although he has been indicted on 91 separate criminal charges in four trials that may or may not be heard before the election.

Some of those charges accuse him of trying to overturn the 2024 election and of playing a part in the January 6, 2021 breach of the Capitol.

By the time those charges are decided, however, it may be too late to get Trump off the ballot.

Two disliked candidates

It's probably only because the Democrat candidate is so weak that the party has anything to worry about with Trump.

Polls show him pulling ahead of Biden in the last few weeks, but that's more because public sentiment is turning against Biden than because anyone other than conservatives and some blue-collar workers really likes Trump.

When the economy has been lackluster in past election seasons, voters have quickly chosen to throw out the incumbent and give his opponent a try.

Unfortunately, it seems like this election is shaping up to be a contest between two highly disliked candidates. Who will be disliked more?

That is, if Trump's opponents in Democrat-controlled states don't manage to get him off the ballot there.

The way it looks, being off the ballot in even one state could prevent Trump from reaching electoral victory. The Supreme Court may have to get involved to prevent something like that from happening.