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Michigan Presidential primary winners since 2008. Does 'uncommitted' mean Biden's at risk in November?

By FOX 2 Staff
Updated  February 28, 2024 11:57am EST
2024 Election
FOX 2 Detroit

13% of Democrats vote uncommitted in Michigan's Presidential Primary

Though President Joe Biden secured the Democratic nomination in Michigan's primary, 13% of voters cast an uncommitted vote. This move was to show support for Palestine and encourage the president to call for a ceasefire.

On Tuesday, more than 100,000 Michigan democratic voters sent a resounding message to President Joe Biden that his reelection bid in the Great Lakes State could be at stake. 

An "uncommitted" vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign. 

On Tuesday, Biden tallied over 614,000 votes in the primary, easily garnering the democratic bid in Michigan with 81% of the vote. However, more than 100,000 voted uncommitted as the state has become a focal point of Democratic frustration regarding the Biden Administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Michigan, mostly in Wayne County, has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation. 

The last time Michigan had such a high number of uncommitted votes for either party was in 2008 when 40% of Democrats voted uncommitted. The vote that year was a peculiar one as the Republican-led state legislature in Lansing voted to move the Presidential Primaries to January 15 to increase the state's influence in the election. 

However, the Federal Democratic Party prohibited states from holding primaries before Super Tuesday. Due to the move, Michigan was stripped of its delegates and future President Barack Obama – along with other hopefuls – withdrew their name from the ballot.

Hillary Clinton stayed on the ballot that year and garnered 54% of the vote.

Dating back to 2000, the Michigan Secretary of State's office shows that the 2024 primary is the highest ‘uncommitted vote’.

2024

Republican Primary

  1. Donald Trump (68%)
  2. Nikki Haley (26%)
  3. Uncommitted (3%)

Democratic Primary

  1. Joe Biden (81%)
  2. Uncommitted (13%)

2020

Republican Primary

  1. Donald Trump (93%)
  2. Uncommitted (4%)

Democratic Primary

  1. Joe Biden (53%)
  2. Bernie Sanders (36%)

2016

Republican Primary

  1. Donald Trump (36%)
  2. Ted Cruz (25%)
  3. John Kasich (24%)

Democratic Primary

  1. Hillary Clinton (48%)
  2. Bernie Sanders (49%)

2012

Republican Primary

  1. Mitt Romney (41%)
  2. Rick Santorum (38%)

Democratic Primary

  1. Barack Obama (90%)
  2. Uncommitted (10%)

2008

Republican Primary

  1. Mitt Romney (39%)
  2. John McCain (29%)
  3. Mike Huckabee (16%)

Democratic Primary

  1. Hillary Clinton (55%)
  2. Uncommitted (40%

According to the Associated Press, 25% of those votes of uncommitted came in Wayne County.

Biden still dominated the primary, but the result could be a concern in a state he won by less than 3% in 2020 and likely can’t afford to lose this year.

Organizers of the "uncommitted" movement had purposely kept expectations low, having only seriously begun their push a few weeks ago. The "Listen to Michigan" campaign that organized the push said they were hoping for 10,000 votes, pointing to Trump’s win of less than 11,000 votes in 2016 to show the significance of that number.

When Barack Obama ran for reelection in 2012, the last time a Democratic presidential incumbent sought re-election, the "uncommitted" option received close to 21,000 votes — or 11 percentage points.

Information from the Associated Press was used this report.