In the Michigan primary, Joe Biden wins despite a warning and Donald Trump again leads Nikki Haley

Each primary brings American voters a little closer to a new face-off between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the November 2024 presidential election. Both the current president and his predecessor in the White House won by wide margins. Michigan Primary, Tuesday, February 27.

The vote in this industrial state in the north of the United States was closely watched by the Democratic Party because the result could be a warning for Joe Biden. If, according to preliminary estimates, the American president largely wins over his main rival, one of the Minnesota representatives in the House, Dean Phillips, he sees the emergence of a worrying empty vote (“uncommitted”not committed).

Democratic voters in the nation’s largest, Michigan, were called on to vote on the ballot to express their displeasure with the White House’s support for Israeli aggression, at the call of a section of the state’s Arab and Muslim community. Gaza Strip. Vote “uncommitted” It is a regularly offered option to state voters to find out whether they have support for a particular candidate.

According to initial estimates, more than 20,000 “undecided” votes were cast in the ballot box. This is already double the goal set by the activists behind the “Listen to Michigan” campaign. (hear Michigan), to deliver “A powerful and clear message” Financing and supporting the war in Gaza “In conflict with the values ​​of the Democratic Party.”. “Our movement this evening was triumphant and far exceeded our expectations”, underlined “Listen to Michigan” in the press release. Their goal is to force the US president to call for an immediate ceasefire and end support for Israel.

A key state in the race for the White House

As civilian casualties mount in the conflict between Israel and Hamas — more than 30,000 Gazans have been killed — Joe Biden has seen his support among Muslims and Arab Americans drop significantly. However, this demographic was crucial for him against Donald Trump in Michigan in 2020.

Michigan is considered a swing state (“Swing State”) for the American presidential election, there is neither a Democratic nor a Republican stronghold. In 2020, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump there by a lead of just 150,000 votes.

For his part, the former president on Tuesday won with a large lead over his eventual rival, former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, during the Republican primary held together, thus strengthening his status. The favorite for the nomination is the “Grand Old Party” (GOP). But a third of Republican voters rejected the real estate mogul’s candidacy.

So doubts remain about Mr. Trump’s ability to convince the majority of moderate voters in the Republican Party, whose support would be significant if he is indeed nominated for the November election. Especially since Nikki Haley, on February 24, despite her defeat in her home state, South Carolina, refused to give up, saying that she did not believe that Donald Trump could defeat Joe Biden.