President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have emerged victorious in their respective party primaries in Michigan, according to CNN projections. Despite facing a protest vote campaign due to his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden secured approximately 85% of the votes by 9:30 p.m. This win propels him towards the Democratic nomination for a second term, while Trump is on track to secure the GOP nomination for the third consecutive election.
Trump’s victory has effectively curtailed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s momentum ahead of the Super Tuesday contests, where over a third of the party’s delegates are up for grabs. Despite Biden’s comfortable win, the results indicate potential challenges for the president, who faced opposition from Arab and Muslim Americans over his administration’s response to the Gaza war.
A campaign named “Listen to Michigan” encouraged Democratic voters to cast protest votes for “uncommitted”. This initiative, endorsed by Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and former Rep. Andy Levin, and supported by progressive groups like Our Revolution, was deemed successful by its organizers even before the final vote count.
Layla Elabed, the campaign manager for the group, stated, “We demand President Biden to take action now – bring a permanent ceasefire. A vote uncommitted was a humanitarian vote.” She added that the campaign was just the beginning, with plans to keep the pressure on the president until the November election.
The Michigan primary was moved up this year in the Democratic presidential nominating calendar. With Biden’s support, party officials replaced Iowa and New Hampshire from their traditional spots on the calendar to build a more diverse lineup of early voting states. Michigan, a crucial presidential swing state, played a significant role in Trump’s 2016 victory and Biden’s win four years later.
Activists aimed to convey to Biden the political implications of his support for Israel in a state he must win. Dearborn, home to one of the largest Arab American communities in the U.S, saw nearly 146,000 Muslim Americans vote in the 2020 general election, according to Emgage, a group advocating for increased Muslim American political power.
Elabed, a Palestinian American, clarified to CNN, “This is not an anti-Biden campaign. It’s a humanitarian vote. It’s a protest vote. It is a vote that tells Biden and his administration that we believe in saving lives.”
Biden has invested significant political capital in Michigan, where Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer, a potential 2020 vice presidential candidate, won reelection in 2022. Biden’s support for the United Auto Workers union in Michigan during a September strike against major auto manufacturers further solidified his standing in the state.
Trump Inches Closer to Third Straight Nomination
The Michigan GOP primary was the first of two contests this week to award the state’s 2024 presidential delegates. Trump is expected to secure more delegates on Saturday, when the Michigan GOP convenes for a convention. The split contests are a response to Democrats’ decision to rearrange their party’s presidential nominating calendar after the 2020 election.
Michigan Republicans opposed the earlier state primary as it violated Republican National Committee rules limiting which states can hold contests before March 1. After Democrats moved the Michigan primary to February 27, the RNC and Michigan GOP devised a hybrid model. As a result, 16 of Michigan’s 55 delegates were at stake in Tuesday’s primary and will be awarded proportionally based on the result. The remaining 39 will be awarded at Saturday’s convention.
The Michigan GOP is currently embroiled in a leadership dispute, with two individuals claiming the party chair title and planning separate conventions on Saturday. The RNC and Trump have recognized Pete Hoekstra, a former congressman and US ambassador to the Netherlands, as chair. However, Kristina Karamo, an election conspiracy theorist ousted by the state party in January, has refused to step down, arguing her removal was unlawful.
CNN’s Arit John, Dianne Gallagher, and Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.