California Secretary of State Shirley Weber decided to keep former President Donald Trump on the state’s primary ballot, despite pressure to find ways to keep him off.

Ms. Weber said the decision is “not something my office takes lightly.” 

Ms. Weber, a Democrat, faced pressure from Democratic Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to “explore every legal option” to remove Mr. Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars from holding office any officer of United States who has engaged in insurrection against the U.S. government.

In a letter to Ms. Kounalakis, the secretary of state described a tortured process by which she decided to keep Mr. Trump on the ballot.

“While we can agree that the attack on the Capitol and the former President’s involvement was abhorrent, there are complex legal issues surrounding this matter,” Ms. Weber wrote.

Ms. Weber’s office will “continue to assess” all of the options that arise, such as a Supreme Court decision, she said in the letter.

SEE ALSO: Maine becomes second state to boot Trump from primary ballot

California joins Michigan in deciding that Mr. Trump can stay on the 2024 primary ballot. Other states, including Minnesota, have also said they dismissed cases.

Maine on Thursday became the second state to remove Mr. Trump from the ballot after Colorado made that decision last week. The issue is likely destined for the Supreme Court.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.