President Joe Biden is projected to win Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary comfortably.
Gatekeepers News reports that this was despite tens of thousands of protest votes against him.
Activists urged Democrats to vote “uncommitted” rather than cast a ballot for the president because of his stance towards Israel’s war in Gaza.
With 32% of the votes counted, more than 40,000 had chosen “uncommitted”.
According to BBC partner CBS News, Biden had received 80% of the vote.
Biden in a statement appreciated “every Michigander who made their voice heard today”.
He is largely unopposed in the Democratic Party’s search for a nominee, meaning he is on course to face off in November’s presidential election against Donald Trump – in a rematch of 2020.
Meanwhile, the former president is also projected to win Tuesday’s Republican primary in Michigan.
In remarks given to a celebration event by his team, Trump was quoted saying it had been a “great day” in Michigan. “[W]e’re going to win big, and it’s going to be like nothing that anybody has ever seen,” he added.
The numbers of “uncommitted” voters surpassed the expectations of some of the groups opposing Biden.
Grassroots organisation Listen to Michigan, which was part of the campaign, also hailed the day as a win.
People were in tears at a watch party hosted by the organisation as updated vote tallies were periodically announced.
Congressman Andy Levin who supported the “vote uncommitted” movement told the crowd, “I take no joy in being here tonight. This moment is a child of necessity because people are dying by the thousands.”
Michigan is one of a handful of major swing states that each party’s nominee will battle for in 2024.
