Democratic Donors Concerned as Michigan Voters Abandon Biden in Primary, Call for Change
In a recent development that has left Democratic donors concerned, more than 100,000 voters in Michigan abandoned President Biden and marked “uncommitted” on their primary ballots. This has led to calls for change within the party, with donors urging Biden to see this as a “warning sign” and a “wake-up call.” The organization Way to Win, a national hub of progressive donors, sent a memo to its members and supporters emphasizing the significance of these results.
The memo states, “Regardless of how you dissect the specific math and historical comparisons (2012, 2016) of what happened in Michigan, 100,000 uncommitted Democratic voters must be seen as a wake-up call. We can tell you that the energy behind ‘uncommitted’ is not something that should be ignored, taken lightly, or dismissed.” It goes on to emphasize that Michigan is a major warning signal that demands a change.
The primary in Michigan saw the state’s Arab American population urging voters to “Abandon Biden” and vote “uncommitted” in protest of Biden’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza. Despite winning 81% of the state, Biden lost approximately 101,000 votes to the protest. This significant loss has raised concerns among Democratic donors and progressive activists.
Way to Win’s memo also draws parallels with the 2016 election, where Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic primary to Bernie Sanders. Despite this loss, Clinton believed that Michigan would vote blue in the general election, but it ultimately went to Trump by a margin of just under 11,000 votes. The memo warns that history may repeat itself in 2024 if voters continue to feel disenchanted, disaffected, and demobilized.
The protest against Biden extended beyond Michigan and into Super Tuesday as well. Despite winning most of the contests on Super Tuesday, Biden faced a significant number of Democratic voters who refused to put his name down in states like Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee. In North Carolina, for example, a staggering 88,000 voters, or nearly 13% of the total, opted for “No Preference.” A similar trend was observed in Massachusetts, where 54,000 voters, or just under 10%, marked “No Preference.”
The memo from Way to Win highlights the potential danger of voters in swing states choosing not to vote at all or to vote for third-party candidates due to their dissatisfaction with the system. It urges Biden to directly address the concerns of those protesting him and suggests changing course on Gaza, elevating Vice President Harris on the campaign trail, and emphasizing the need for Democrats to go out and vote.
These recent primary results and the protest votes against Biden have sparked a sense of urgency within the Democratic Party. It serves as a reminder that winning the general election is not guaranteed and that the party must address the concerns of its voters to secure their support. As the 2024 election approaches, Democrats are left with the challenge of reengaging disenchanted voters and ensuring their continued support in key swing states like Michigan.