Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden have won the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries in Michigan, respectively, according to the Associated Press. Trump defeated his main rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, by a wide margin, while Biden faced no serious opposition in his bid for re-election.
Trump secured 68% of the vote, compared to Haley’s 26%, with 95% of the precincts reporting. He had also won his main rival last weekend in her home state of South Carolina. The former U.N. ambassador has vowed to continue seeking the Republican presidential nomination – and competing with Trump – until the party’s convention in July.
Biden received 81% of the vote, while 13% of the voters chose “uncommitted”, in a protest against his handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Critics of his policies, including some Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan, had urged Democrats to cast a “no confidence” vote for the president.
However, the president’s support from the majority of the voters showed that he still had a strong base in the state.
Michigan, a key battleground state in the 2020 election, awarded 117 delegates to the Democrats and 16 out of 55 delegates to the Republicans, the rest will be determined on Saturday. The state’s primary was held on Tuesday, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Early voting and absentee voting were also available for eligible voters.
All eyes are now on Super Tuesday which is on March 5th, when 16 states and one territory will hold their primaries and caucuses. Super Tuesday will be a decisive moment for both parties, as it will determine the frontrunners and the challengers for the 2024 presidential election.