Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Michigan's top election official, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in an effort to prevent his name from being excluded from the state's ballot in 2024. The lawsuit, filed this week, asks a state court to block Benson from leaving Trump's name off the list of candidates and also questions her authority to make such a decision.

The complaint alleges that Trump's campaign has not received a response to a letter sent to Benson requesting confirmation that his name will appear on the list of candidates for the Republican primary. Trump's lawyers argue that the lack of response has created uncertainty in resource allocation for the campaign. They also highlight Benson's affiliation with the opposing major political party and her publicly expressed negative views towards Trump, suggesting bias in her decision-making process.

The filing comes in response to legal challenges mounted in Michigan, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, aiming to keep Trump off the primary and general election ballots. The 14th Amendment states that no person can hold office if they have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" after taking an oath to support the Constitution. The lawsuits against Trump argue that he violated his oath during the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol as part of an attempt to overturn his election loss.

Similar challenges to Trump's eligibility for the 2024 presidential race have gained traction in other states as well. Election officials in Arizona, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and elsewhere are considering concerns similar to those raised in Michigan as they prepare their state ballots for next year's Republican presidential primaries.

In Denver, a state court has commenced hearings on a lawsuit brought by six voters seeking to bar Trump from Colorado's 2024 ballot, citing his involvement in the Capitol riot.

Trump has dismissed these efforts to exclude him from the ballot, referring to them as "nonsense" and "election interference." As the legal battles unfold, the implications for Trump's ability to run in 2024 and the broader issue of whether individuals associated with the Capitol riot should be eligible for public office remain highly debated.