Voters in Michigan made their voices heard in the state’s presidential primaries, giving both parties’ front-runners victories but also a sizable protest vote in the Democratic primary.
With the wins by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively, in the state, the two are closer to a rematch in November.
Here are three takeaways from the results in the Great Lakes State on Tuesday.
Significant protest vote against Biden
Biden emerged victorious in Michigan in the Democratic primary, but a vocal protest vote dampened his win because of the effect it could have in the swing state in the general election. Biden won roughly 81% of the vote, more than 617,000 votes, while “uncommitted” garnered roughly 13.3% of the vote, good for more than 100,000 votes.
Several pro-Palestinian activists, who have been upset with Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas, organized an effort to vote “uncommitted” rather than for the president in the primary to express their displeasure with Biden. Organizers had said they were hoping for at least 10,000 “uncommitted” votes but registered 10 times that figure on Tuesday night. They did fall short of an optimistic 15% of the vote, as turnout was significantly higher than the last primary in Michigan with an incumbent Democratic president.
Michigan has a history of sizable “uncommitted” votes in presidential primaries for various reasons. In 2012, then-President Barack Obama had no serious challenger when he defeated “uncommitted” by a margin of 89% to 10%, which is only slightly better than how much Biden won by this year. That year, Obama received roughly 174,000 votes compared to “uncommitted” getting roughly 20,000.
Trump continues to leave Haley in the dust
The former president continued his domination in the GOP primary by handily defeating his only major challenger, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, by more than 40 points. Trump won roughly 68% of the vote, compared to Haley’s 26%.
Despite not winning any of the contests in the GOP primary, Haley has vowed to continue her campaign through at least Super Tuesday, on March 5. She most recently lost her home state of South Carolina on Saturday, but her loss in Michigan further shows that any path to the Republican nomination would be extremely narrow — if it exists.
Phillips finishes in a distant fourth
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), one of Biden’s few challengers, came in a dismal fourth place in the Great Lakes State, finishing behind Biden, “uncommitted,” and Marianne Williamson. Williamson dropped out of the Democratic primary earlier this month but announced on Wednesday morning she was “unsuspending” her campaign.
Phillips’s 2.7% of the vote continues his lackluster performance in the Democratic primary, in which he lost to Biden in New Hampshire despite Biden not being on the ballot and got under 2% in South Carolina.
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With the poor showings by any challengers to Biden and Trump, it appears almost certain the two will face off in a rematch in November.
Michigan is expected to be a pivotal state in the general election, voting for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, meaning both candidates will have to shore up support within their respective parties after roughly 20% in the Democratic primary and more than 30% in the Republican primary voted against the front-runners.
