Wisconsin Supreme Court orders election officials to put Phillips on presidential primary ballot

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered state elections officials Friday to include U.S. Rep Dean Phillips on the state's Democratic presidential primary ballot, finding that Democrats on a bipartisan presidential selection committee who left him off the ballot without a discussion should have at least talked about him.

The unanimous ruling means President Joe Biden will have Phillips as a challenger on the April 2 ballot. Messages left with both campaigns weren't immediately returned.

Phillips argued in his lawsuit that he met the test in Wisconsin law for gaining ballot access that says a candidate must be “generally advocated or recognized in the national news media.” State Justice Department attorneys representing the elections commission countered that the committee has sole discretion to decide who gets on the ballot.