On Wednesday, New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed a bill designating April 2 as the date for the state’s presidential primary. This move may place former President Donald Trump on the ballot amidst his ongoing trial in Manhattan over allegations related to undisclosed payments.
This shift in the primary date could further complicate Trump’s already tumultuous year, as he grapples with legal challenges across several states while vying for a comeback to the presidency.
His trial in New York is slated to commence on March 25. If this timeline holds, it might create an unprecedented situation where the ex-president is in court as New York’s Republican electorate selects their preferred presidential contender.
Historically, Trump became the first ex-U.S. president to be charged criminally when he was accused in New York over covert payments believed to suppress claims of personal indiscretions from the 2016 campaign. He has maintained his innocence.
Subsequent to this, Trump has faced charges in various other matters, encompassing a federal case in Florida related to classified documents, a federal electoral intervention case in Washington, and an electoral manipulation case in Georgia. In addition, he’s confronting two civil lawsuits in New York, one alleging misrepresentation of asset values and another concerning alleged defamation of an author who claimed Trump assaulted her in the 1990s.
Governor Hochul’s decision to confirm the April 2 primary date followed its approval by the Democrat-led Legislature earlier this year.
Primary contests are scheduled for March 19 in states such as Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Arizona. Furthermore, Pennsylvania’s Senate has greenlit a bill proposing the same March 19 date for their primary, pending approval from the state’s House of Representatives.
At present, Trump is at the forefront among Republican contenders vying for the party’s nomination.
