During Tuesday night's primaries, President Biden's campaign faced a significant number of protest votes, indicating challenges in uniting the party base. In the Wisconsin Democratic primary, 8.4% of voters opted for the 'uninstructed' option, amounting to nearly 48,000 votes. Additionally, 3.1% of votes went to Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, who is no longer in the race.
In Connecticut, the 'uncommitted' votes stood at 11.5%, close to 8,000 votes, while in Rhode Island, 14.9% of voters chose 'uncommitted,' totaling just under 4,000 votes. These results followed activism urging voters to protest against Biden, particularly regarding the White House's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Progressive activist group Our Revolution highlighted the significant number of uncommitted votes, surpassing Biden's margin of victory over Trump in Wisconsin in the 2020 general election. The trend of voters remaining uncommitted rather than supporting Biden has been observed in various states during this primary season.
On the Republican side, a notable portion of voters also refrained from voting for Trump. In Wisconsin, former Ambassador Nikki Haley received 12.8% of the vote, with over 76,000 votes, despite not being in the race. Former Gov. Ron DeSantis earned 3.4% of the vote, while 'uninstructed' received 2.1%.
Following the primaries, there were reactions from both sides. Progressive activist Nina Turner emphasized the need for Biden to reconsider his stance on certain issues, while the Biden campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Overall, the primaries showcased a significant number of protest votes on both the Democratic and Republican sides, indicating a level of discontent among voters towards the current political landscape.
