Former President Donald Trump will remain on Tennessee ballot despite questions of eligibility over felony convictions

The office of Tennessee’s Secretary of State says former President Donald Trump will remain on the ballot.

“Former President Trump is eligible to run for president,” spokesman Doug Kufner wrote in an email to WPLN News. “Ultimately, Tennessee voters will make their decision in the upcoming election.”

The statement ultimately answers Nashville Democrat Vincent Dixie’s request for a legal interpretation of state law from Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. In it, Dixie references a state law that prevents people from running for or holding public office after convictions for what the state deems infamous crimes:

Tennessee Code Title 40, Criminal Procedure § 40–20–114, states:

“(a) A person who has been convicted in this state of an infamous crime, as defined by § 40–20–112, other than one
specified in subsection (b), or convicted under the laws of the United States or another state of an offense that would constitute an infamous crime if committed in this state, shall be disqualified from qualifying for, seeking election to or holding a public office in this state, unless and until that person’s citizenship rights have been restored by a court of competent jurisdiction.”

Dixie wanted to know whether Trump should be removed from the ballot after being convicted of 34 felonies.

More: NPR’s 4 takeaways from the historic felony conviction of Donald Trump

Dixie’s letter to Skrmetti continues, in part: “Given the severity and nature of these crimes, which include lying in official filings and engaging in deceitful practices to influence the outcome of an election, I seek your legal interpretation on whether Donald Trump’s convictions in New York constitute an ‘infamous crime’ under Tennessee law. Specifically, does this disqualify him from appearing on Tennessee’s ballot for the U.S. presidential election?”

Skrmetti hasn’t responded to the question himself, and it’s unclear whether the AG will take up the question.

The frequency at which the AG’s office issues a public opinion has decreased in the last decade. In 2014, there were more than 100 opinions — while last year, the state’s lead prosecutor only issued 11.