MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the state elections commission not to transmit the presidential primary ballot to county clerks as it ponders an attempt by Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips to get added as a candidate.
The order comes six days after Phillips asked the court to intervene and have his name added to the ballot in the battleground state after state Democratic leaders on a presidential selection committee did not include it. The only Democrat currently on the April 2 ballot is President Joe Biden.
The Supreme Court’s one-sentence order Thursday directed the Wisconsin Elections Commission not to transmit the ballot until further notice. The court has yet to decide whether it will rule in the case, but it has accepted arguments from Phillips, the elections commission and the presidential selection committee.
Attorneys from the state Department of Justice representing the elections commission and the presidential selection committee said in court filings Wednesday that Philllips’ challenge should be rejected because he brought it too late.