Over 58,000 in Michigan vote 'uncommitted' in primaries against Biden
3 Min Read
The Listen to Michigan campaign declares the results a massive victory as the votes surpassed the target of 10,000 that organizers hoped to reach.
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Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud speaks during an election night gathering, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Dearborn, Michigan (AP)
Thousands of Democratic voters in the state of Michigan marked their primary ballots as "uncommitted” in protest against US President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for the war on Gaza - with research company Edison Research stating that after almost half of Democratic votes were counted.
The number of "uncommitted" ballots exceeded 58,000.
After calling on people to vote uncommitted, the Listen to Michigan campaign declared the results a massive victory, as the votes surpassed the target of 10,000 the organizers hoped to reach.
In its statement, it said, "Our movement emerged victorious tonight and massively surpassed our expectations. Tens of thousands of Michigan Democrats, many of whom who voted for Biden in 2020, are uncommitted to his re-election due to the war in Gaza."
A statement from @RashidaTlaib on voting uncommitted in Michigan today. pic.twitter.com/xOfOcYTFQn
— #ListenToMichigan (@Listen2michigan) February 27, 2024
Edison Research previously stated that at 10% of the estimated Democratic vote tallied, Biden secured 79% support and 16% "non-committed" votes. That has now changed as the vote count has reached half.
Layla Elabed, who launched the campaign, showed gratitude to local and national progressive organizations, in addition to voters who voted “against war, genocide and the destruction of a people and a land.”
Read next: Can Michigan primaries influence US policy on 'Israel'?: WSJ
Former congressman, Andy Levin, called the movement “a child of necessity” and also called the results “a huge victory."
Meanwhile, the mayor of Dearborn, Abdullah Hammoud, praised the huge turnout and those who voted “uncommitted” in the Michigan primaries.
“Today, thousands said, ‘Enough.’ As American citizens and Michigan voters, we have made our voices heard at the ballot box,” Hammoud said on X, adding, “Now, it is up to President Biden to listen to Michigan and do the right thing."
The voters of Michigan have spoken.
— Abdullah H. Hammoud (@AHammoudMI) February 28, 2024
I am overwhelmed by the power of the people, demonstrated today by the number of Michiganders who voted ‘Uncommitted’. 🧵
In response to his win, Biden said, "I want to thank every Michigander who made their voice heard today. Exercising the right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great," without addressing the Listen to Michigan campaign or the growing tally of voters who cast their ballots as “uncommitted".
Before the primary, a report by Politico on Friday detailed that some Democrats in Michigan fear that President Biden's campaign underestimates the discontent among Arab American and young voters over his response to the war on Gaza.
"I'm still surprised that they're not taking this more seriously," state Sen. Darrin Camilleri told Politico. "I feel like this is 2016 all over again," he added, while referring to Donald Trump's electoral victory that year. "It feels like our national party is not listening to our issues on the ground. If the president doesn’t change course, I would not be surprised if Biden loses the state [in November]."
