The North Carolina State Board of Elections has added two Republican presidential challengers to Donald Trump on the March 3 primary ballot, the organization said Friday.
The State Board -- composed of three Democrats and two Republicans -- voted unanimously to add Joe Walsh and Bill Weld to the ballot after requests from those campaigns, it said in a news release. North Carolina GOP had submitted just one name for the ballot -- Trump.
Other states have taken steps to prevent candidates from appearing on the ballot to challenge Trump, and South Carolina has canceled its GOP primary altogether.
North Carolina's State Board said it has the authority to place additional candidates on the ballot if at least three Board members find the candidate is "generally advocated and recognized in the news media throughout the United States or in North Carolina as candidates for the nomination by that party."
Walsh is a former congressman from Illinois who has been critical of Trump. Weld is a former Massachusetts governor.
Just unanimously confirmed to NC Republican Presidential ballot as nationally recognized viable candidate by @NCSBE, reversing yet another attempt to fix the primaries by @realDonaldTrump and state party bosses.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) December 20, 2019
Why does Trump fear free and fair elections?
The primary presidential ballot will also have 15 Democratic Party, 16 Libertarian Party, two Constitution Party and one Green Party candidate.
