Indiana Congressman Jim Banks will be on the ballot for reelection, despite an attempt to disqualify him.
One of three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination against Banks, A-J Calkins, argued Banks should be declared ineligible under the 14th Amendment, which says no one can serve in Congress who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States.” Banks was one of four Indiana congressmen who voted to reject President Biden’s electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania, and signed on to a lawsuit spearheaded by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to throw out the results in Pennsylvania and three other states Biden won.
North Carolina’s election board is considering a challenge to Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn under the insurrection clause. Cawthorn spoke at the Trump rally which preceded the January 6 Capitol riot, and has called the rioters “political hostages” while warning of the possibility of future violence over unsupported claims of a “rigged” election system. Banks’ attorney Paul Mullins said, and Calkins acknowledged, that Banks had no connection to what Mullins called the “ugly” events of January 6th. .
Mullins notes Banks appeared on Fox that night to condemn the violence.
Calkins argued there was both a “violent insurrection and a political insurrection” on January 6, and contended Banks is guilty of the latter. He argues Banks was part of an organized effort to overturn a democratic election, long after more than 30 legal challenges to Pennsylvania’s vote had been heard and rejected in court, including the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Paxton lawsuit.
Indiana’s bipartisan election commission unanimously rejected the challenge.
The panel did disqualify three US Senate hopefuls who didn’t submit the required 4,500 petition signatures. The removal of Democrats Haneefah Khaaliq and Valerie McCray and Republican Danny Niederberger means both parties’ primaries are uncontested. Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. will be Democrats’ nominee against Senator Todd Young.
Two other congressional candidates locked up their nominations after their opponents were disqualified for lacking the required record of voting in two straight primaries in their party. Congressman Jim Baird (R-4th) will now advance to the November election in pursuit of a third term. And Goshen College instructor Paul Steury becomes Democrats’ nominee against Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-2nd).
