Arkansas rules online news personality Cenk Uygur won’t qualify for Democratic presidential primary
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas election officials announced on Monday that Cenk Uygur, an online news personality who was born in Turkey, will not be allowed to appear on the state’s Democratic presidential primary ballot next year. This decision follows Uygur’s recent claim of being the first naturalized citizen on a presidential ballot after submitting the necessary paperwork to the state and the Arkansas Democratic Party. Uygur’s parents immigrated to the United States from Turkey when he was 8.
In a letter to Uygur, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston stated, My office has received your candidate filing paperwork. However, based on your own proclamation, you are not qualified to hold the elected office for which you filed. Therefore, I cannot, in good faith, certify your name to the ballot.
The U.S. Constitution outlines simple requirements for presidential candidates: They must be at least 35 years old and a natural born citizen. As a result, several other states, including New Hampshire and Nevada, have also rejected Uygur’s application to appear on their primary ballots.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the decision, Uygur argued that officials were treating naturalized citizens as second-class and claimed that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution makes him eligible to run for president. Uygur, co-creator of the online news and commentary show The Young Turks, had announced in October that he was challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. He previously made an unsuccessful bid for a congressional seat in California.
Reed Brewer, a spokesman for the Arkansas Democratic Party, pointed out that based on previous court rulings, the party lacked the authority to determine Uygur’s eligibility for the ballot. Because of the vagaries of state law, rejecting a filing is simply not an option for us, Brewer stated. It remains unclear whether the party will refund Uygur the $2,500 filing fee.
As we await further updates on this issue, it is evident that Uygur’s presidential aspirations face substantial legal obstacles. While he remains determined to challenge the decision and fight for his right to run for president, the rejection by Arkansas election officials deals a significant blow to his campaign.
