Dingell avoids taking sides in Michigan primary protest over Gaza

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) avoided questions Sunday about whether she backs a protest vote launched by progressives to select “uncommitted” in the state’s upcoming Democratic primary instead of backing President Biden due to his response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Dingell said in a CBS “Face the Nation” interview with Margaret Brennan on Sunday that the war in Gaza is a critical issue that is especially important for Michigan because of its large Arab American population.

President Biden did not meet with Arab American community leaders when he visited Michigan early this month. Top surrogate Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) met with some leaders in the state this week.

“I do believe that he is going to do that at some point down the road,” Dingell said. “This community is pretty angry right now.”

“He’s sent many of his team out, they develop relationships, they’re connected with people from both sides. I’ve heard that they’ve got ongoing conversations,” she added. “And that’s got to continue.”

The Michigan electorate has become a prominent voice of criticism against Biden’s Gaza policy because of the state’s Arab American population. Political analysts have warned that losing the powerful voting bloc over Gaza policy could mean losing the whole state in the general election.

Arab American community leaders have said they feel betrayed by Biden because he is not pushing the Israeli government hard enough against the war in Gaza.

“It’s a competitive state, and the Arab American issue is one that’s got to be taken seriously,” Dingell told The Hill earlier this month. “We have to talk to them, and we’re gonna. Those issues are very serious ones.”

Dingell said Sunday that she’s glad the issue can be important to the national political discussion now because of the state’s early primary. 

“I want to be talking about this issue now in February, because it will matter in November and not on October 15, which has happened too many times in previous presidential elections that issues that matter in November aren’t talked [about] early,” she said.

“This is a very important issue here,” she said. “There’s gonna be other issues too. The state’s going to be purple from now until November.”