Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin held their presidential primary elections on Tuesday night, and President Joe Biden (D) and former president Donald Trump (R) easily won.
The focus on Tuesday was on the protest votes against Biden's actions in Gaza. In Wisconsin, a swing state, protest votes could turn the state in favor of Trump in November if Biden does not take stronger action against what critics are calling Israel's deadly military attack on Palestinians in Gaza.
Apart from that, Wisconsin voters opposed the idea of allowing private assistance for local elections, progressive candidates secured local school board positions in the state, a candidate endorsed by anti-LGBTQ+ Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) lost in the race for the state’s House of Representatives in Arkansas, and an apparently anti-LGBTQ+ candidate won his primary in Mississippi, possibly becoming the state's new federal representative.
Protest votes in Wisconsin could result in Biden's defeat in November
A A movement to show dissatisfaction with Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict expanded to all four of Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential primaries.
All four states voted for the Democratic party in the 2020 presidential elections. However, while a small number of protest voters in Connecticut and Rhode Island chose “uncommitted” against Biden, a significant number in Wisconsin voted “uninstructed” against him.
In Wisconsin, 3.8% of voters (19,259 votes) selected “uninstructed.” Biden won the state by 20,682 votes in 2020. The difference between these two numbers is only 1,423 votes, indicating that Biden could lose the state to Trump if enough protest voters keep opposing him in November.
However, primary elections usually have low turnout — less than 5% of registered voters in Rhode Island took part. Therefore, it is more probable that undecided swing voters will determine the state’s preferred presidential candidate in November. Fewer than 5% of registered Rhode Island voters participated.So it's more likely that undecided swing voters will actually decide the state’s preferred presidential candidate in November.
Protest voters in other states have stated that their “uncommitted” votes are not an approval of Trump or a wish to see him return to power, but rather a way to tell Biden to “stop funding the Israeli government’s atrocities against the Palestinian people.” Jewish Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) mentioned that Biden's Gaza policies are “a big problem in the African American community and among young voters and people of color, generally.”
Critics of Biden argue that the current president is wasting U.S. influence over Israel by not condemning the country’s targeting of Palestinian civilians and not calling for a “just and swift” solution to its ongoing military campaign, according to writer Zack Beauchamp. Vox Trump changed the state from blue to red in 2016. However, Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, believes that protest voters will ultimately support Biden this November: “Do you want a president who has, frankly, supported a Muslim ban?”
Approved by voters, laws may undermine Wisconsin’s elections.
State voters approved two Republican-endorsed statewide election laws. The laws bar local governments from accepting private assistance and aid from “non-election officials designated by law” during elections.
State voters passed two statewide election laws endorsed by the Republicans, prohibiting local governments from receiving private help and assistance from “non-election officials designated by law” during elections.
"Many people who help with running elections are not sworn election officials, such as clerk staff, employees of other municipal agencies who may assist with setting up polling places or sending out absentee ballots, and vendors who may be present to solve technological issues or transport voting equipment," explained The State Democracy Research Initiative in a March 14 article. If the amendment were understood to exclude these individuals, or to prevent other election-related activities by private volunteers, it could greatly hinder the ability of election administrators to fulfill their duties. State Democracy Research Initiative explained in a March 14 article. Several positive outcomes for LGBTQ+ voters took place in local races. In the city of Milwaukee, Democratic mayoral candidate Cavalier Johnson defeated Republican David King, a conservative pastor. In local races for the Greendale School Board (located just southeast of Milwaukee), two progressive candidates supported by teachers’ unions — Brian Bock and Kristin Settle — defeated opponent Elise Ciske and conservative incumbent Mary Grogan.
Anti-LGBTQ+ candidate in Mississippi wins U.S. House primary
Ron Eller won the Republican primary to become Mississippi’s U.S. House representative. Eller is a pro-school voucher and anti-abortion candidate who referenced the Bible and mentioned “the race card” when asked about contemporary racism, according to the Mississippi Free Press. He referred to LGBTQ+ rights as “settled law” and identity as “a personal lifestyle choice” — not showing strong support for queer rights. Eller will challenge Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson in November, who has been the incumbent since 1993. Arkansas Gov. Sanders’s favorite loses state House primary White candidate Dolly Henley defeated Black candidate Arnetta Bradford by a margin of 1,328 to 1,028 votes, respectively, in the Republican primary for the state’s House of Representatives. Anti-LGBTQ+ Sen. Sarah Huckabee Sanders endorsed Bradford. Henley will now face Libertarian Tammy Goodwin in the November general election.
Democratic runoff candidates Fred Leonard and Jessie McGruder won their primaries for U.S. House candidacies. They will compete against Republicans Tammi Bell and Robert Thorne Jr. in November. Democrats held the seats in the most recent general elections.
However, Republicans have supermajority control of both chambers in the Arkansas state legislature.
Biden’s handling of Gaza continues to frustrate a significant number of voters. who quoted the Bible and mentioned “the race card” when asked about contemporary racism by the Mississippi Free Press. He called LGBTQ+ rights “settled law” and identity “a personal lifestyle choice” — hardly ringing endorsements for queer rights.
Eller will face Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson in November. Thompson has served as the incumbent since 1993.
Arkansas Gov. Sanders’s favorite loses state House primary
White candidate Dolly Henley defeated Black candidate Arnetta Bradford by a margin of 1,328 to 1,028 votes, respectively, in the Republican primary for the state’s House of Representatives. Anti-LGBTQ+ Sen. Sarah Huckabee Sanders endorsed Bradford. Henley will now face Libertarian Tammy Goodwin in the November general election.
Democratic runoff candidates Fred Leonard and Jessie McGruder won their primaries for U.S. House candidacies. They will face off against Republicans Tammi Bell and Robert Thorne Jr. in November. Democrats the seats in the most recent general elections.
However, Republicans have supermajority control of both chambers in the Arkansas state legislature.
