Campaign

‘Uncommitted’ push in Minnesota scores 11 delegates

by Julia Mueller - 03/06/24 3:55 PM ET

US President Joe Biden speaks to the press before he departs the White House in Washington, DC, for the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland, on March 1, 2024. US President Joe Biden said Friday he was “hoping” for agreement on a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas conflict by Ramadan. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden easily won Minnesota’s Democratic primary on Super Tuesday — but a protest vote scored enough support to win 11 delegates to the national convention, according to the state party.

The Democratic-Farmer-Labor party in Minnesota announced Wednesday that Biden won 64 of 75 available delegates in the state, while an “uncommitted” ballot option won 11 — signaling the potency of voters’ frustration with the president on the war in Gaza.

The Minnesota results follow an “uncommitted” push in Michigan last week that won at least 1 delegate, even as Biden handily won that state’s primary, too.

A “Listen to Michigan” campaign had been pushing for a primary protest vote — picking the “uncommitted” ballot option over Biden — to send the incumbent a message on the Israel-Hamas war. Many progressives and Arab Americans are upset with the administration’s actions amid the conflict, and organizers of “uncommitted” efforts hope to turn the screws on Biden to change course.

The success of the Michigan campaign fueled third-party hopes and inspired Biden critics to try and replicate the results in other states’ primaries. At the same time, a broader “Abandon Biden” effort would also have voters turn their backs on the incumbent in the general election.

A Biden campaign official acknowledged the Michigan effort, saying the team will work hard to earn every vote and that Biden is working for peace in Gaza. There, Biden won with more than 80 percent of the vote, according to Decision Desk HQ, while “uncommitted” scored around 13 percent with more than 100,000 votes.

In Minnesota’s primary, Biden won with 70 percent of the vote, according to the latest counts from Decision Desk HQ, while “uncommitted” raked in more than 45,000 votes to reach around 19 percent — faring better than Biden’s long-shot challengers.

The effort also showed results in other Super Tuesday states, with tens of thousands of votes for a “no preference” option in North Carolina and Massachusetts. Even as the president touts his spate of Tuesday night victories, it signals a weak spot for Biden in his party as he tries for another term in a race that looks all but set to be a rematch with former President Trump in November.