ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed a invoice setting the state’s presidential major for April 2, probably placing former President Donald Trump on the poll as he stands trial in Manhattan for a hush-money legal case.
The brand new major date might add a brand new layer to an more and more chaotic calendar for Trump subsequent yr, because the Republican frontrunner makes an attempt to navigate courtroom instances in a number of states whereas he seeks a return to the White Home.
His New York trial is about to start on March 25, and although the date might change, it could arrange a rare situation during which the previous president would possibly discover himself in courtroom as Republican voters within the state are choosing their subsequent presidential candidate.
Trump turned the primary former U.S. president in historical past to face legal prices when he was indicted this yr on prices in New York state stemming from hush cash funds made through the 2016 presidential marketing campaign to bury allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. He has pleaded not responsible.
Since then, Trump has been indicted in a handful of different instances, together with a federal categorized paperwork case in Florida, a federal elections interference case in Washington and an election subversion case in Georgia. He additionally faces two civil trials in New York, one alleging he fraudulently misstated the worth of property and one other concerning the alleged defamation of a author who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her within the mid-Nineties.
Hochul, a Democrat, signed the invoice setting the brand new April 2 major date after the Democrat-controlled Legislature authorised it this summer season.
Major elections are set for March 19 in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Arizona. Pennsylvania’s state Senate on Wednesday authorised a invoice to maneuver their state’s major to March 19 as effectively, although the proposal nonetheless requires passage within the state Home of Representatives.
Trump is thus far main a pack of Republican presidential hopefuls searching for the GOP nomination.