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LANSING, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Michigan鈥檚 Supreme Court is keeping former President Donald Trump on the state鈥檚 primary election ballot.

The court said Wednesday it will not hear an appeal of a lower court鈥檚 ruling from groups seeking to keep Trump from appearing on the ballot.

It said in an order that the application by parties to appeal a Dec. 14 Michigan appeals court judgment was considered, but denied 鈥渂ecause we are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court.鈥�

The ruling contrasts with聽聽which found Trump ineligible to be president because of his role in the聽. That ruling was the first time in history that聽 has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate.Michigan and Colorado cases are among dozens hoping to keep Trump鈥檚 name off state ballots. They all point to the so-called insurrection clause that prevents anyone from holding office who 鈥渆ngaged in insurrection or rebellion鈥� against the Constitution. Until the Colorado ruling, all had failed.

The Colorado ruling is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has never ruled on the rarely used Civil War-era provision.

The plaintiffs in Michigan can technically try again to disqualify Trump under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in the general election, though it鈥檚 likely there will be a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the issue by then. The state鈥檚 high court on Wednesday upheld an appeals court ruling that the Republican Party could place anyone it wants on the primary ballot. But the court was silent on whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment would disqualify Trump in November if he becomes the GOP nominee.

鈥淲e are disappointed by the Michigan Supreme Court鈥檚 decision,鈥� said Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People, the liberal group that filed the suit to disqualify Trump in the state. 鈥淭he ruling conflicts with longstanding US Supreme Court precedent that makes clear that when political parties use the election machinery of the state to select, via the primary process, their candidates for the general election, they must comply with all constitutional requirements in that process.鈥�

Only one of the court鈥檚 seven justices dissented. Justice Elizabeth M. Welch, a Democrat, wrote that she would have kept Trump on the primary ballot but the court should rule on the merits of the Section 3 challenge. The court has a 4-3 Democratic majority.

Trump pressed two election officials in Michigan鈥檚 Wayne County not to certify 2020 vote totals, according to a recording of a post-election phone call disclosed in a聽聽by The Detroit News. The聽聽鈥檚 2024 campaign has neither confirmed nor denied the recording鈥檚 legitimacy.

Attorneys for Free Speech for People, a liberal nonprofit group also involved in efforts to keep Trump鈥檚 name off the primary ballot in Minnesota and Oregon, had asked Michigan鈥檚 Supreme Court to render its decision by Christmas Day.

The group argued that time was 鈥渙f the essence鈥� due to 鈥渢he pressing need to finalize and print the ballots for the presidential primary election.鈥�

Earlier this month,聽, saying the case should remain before the appeals court.

Free Speech for People had sued to force Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to bar Trump from Michigan鈥檚 ballot. But a Michigan Court of Claims judge rejected that group鈥檚 arguments,聽聽to decide the question.

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Riccardi reported from Denver.