Biden Wins Michigan Primary—But Thousands Vote ‘Uncommitted’ In Protest
KEY FACTS
Biden had 79% of the vote and uncommitted voters totaled 15.6% as of 9:20 p.m. ET, with some 14% of statewide ballots counted (the Associated Press called the race for Biden at 9 p.m.).
So far, about 20,600 Michigan Democratic voters have selected “uncommitted,” outpacing the goal of 10,000 set by the Listen to Michigan movement—and that number is expected to grow as more votes are counted, especially in populous Wayne County.
A coalition of progressive activists, campus protesters and Arab American community leaders urged primary voters to vote “uncommitted” in protest of Biden’s continued support for Israel, which launched an invasion of the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked southern Israel in October.
Layla Elabed, the group’s leader and sister of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian American in Congress, argues in a memo obtained by Politico that those voters could tip the scales for Biden in the November election if they choose to stay home, as some polls show him losing to Trump in the crucial swing state and nationally by narrow margins.
Michigan—where Biden beat Trump by just 154,000 votes in 2020, four years after Trump won by just over 10,000 votes—is home to a significant share of Arab Americans, including the largest Arab American community in the U.S., in Dearborn.
Biden has become increasingly vocal in urging Israel to take a more measured approach in Gaza as the death toll continues to grow, but has backed military aid to Israel and stopped short of calling for an immediate and permanent cease-fire—though he said Monday his “hope is by next Monday we will have a cease-fire” following weeks of negotiations.
Meanwhile, longshot candidates Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) trailed at roughly 2.7% each.
SURPRISING FACT
Nearly 20,000 Democratic voters in Michigan selected “uncommitted” on their ballots in the 2016 and 2020 primaries, according to Politico.
WHEN IS THE NEXT PRIMARY?
The next Democratic primary contests are scheduled for Super Tuesday on March 5, when 15 states and one territory will hold their primaries.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Biden said negotiators on both sides of the Israel-Hamas war are working to cement a cease-fire agreement for the holy month of Ramadan, which begins March 10. The deal would also include the release of about 40 hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, while allowing more humanitarian aid to be released to Gaza.
KEY BACKGROUND
Biden is the party’s de facto nominee despite poor approval ratings fueled by concerns about his age, the economy, his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and border security. The majority of voters, 57%, disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, according to a December New York Times/Siena poll, and more (46%) trust Trump versus Biden (38%) to handle the conflict. About half of all U.S. adults said Israel’s response to Hamas has gone too far in a January Associated Press poll, including 63% of Democrats and 33% of Republicans. Michigan is the fourth state to hold its Democratic primary, after New Hampshire on Jan. 23 and South Carolina and Nevada earlier this month.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Trump, meanwhile, is widely expected to defeat former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the GOP Michigan primary. He’s on track to win enough delegates to clinch the GOP nomination as soon as next month, setting the stage for a historic rematch between him and Biden.
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