The GOP is a private organization. The Sec of State has no business deciding who can appear on their party’s ballot any more than she can decide who can run for president of the Portland Elk’s club.
Bellows can’t read: https://theglobalherald.com/news/donald-trump-acquitted-of-inciting-insurrection-in-impeachment-trial-bbc-news/
“ The GOP is a private organization. The Sec of State has no business deciding who can appear on their party’s ballot any more than she can decide who can run for president of the Portland Elk’s club.”
Yes and no. The GOP can decide who their state RNC delegates are committed to in any number of ways - primary, caucus, state and county nominating conventions, etc. If they use a caucus or nominating convention, the Secretary of State has no role. If they use a primary, however, the Secretary of State is charged with insuring the candidates meet any legal qualifications. This is because the primary is run by the state, including printing ballots, providing polling places, counting the votes, etc. The counties actually do most of that, but they do it as political subdivisions of the state.
If Maine were able to keep Trump off the primary ballot, the best bet for the GOP would be to hold a state nominating convention and be done with it. Of course, if they were able to keep Trump off the general election ballot, that would be a much bigger problem.