Ceasefire Vote Gets 20% In Minnesota Primary Against Biden

The movement objecting to President Biden’s position on Israel by voting “uncommitted” drew a significant share of the vote on Tuesday in Minnesota despite having a hastily organized and low-budget campaign.

With more than 95 percent of ballots counted early Wednesday, “uncommitted” had earned 20 percent support, enough to send delegates to the Democratic National Convention. The number of protest votes in Minnesota, more than 45,000, suggested that dissatisfaction over Mr. Biden’s stance on the war in Gaza had spread beyond Muslim Americans to progressives and younger voters.

The Biden campaign, which has tried to downplay the significance of the “uncommitted” efforts, issued a statement early Wednesday about the Minnesota results.

“The president believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” said Lauren Hitt, a campaign spokeswoman. “He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end.”

Still, Minnesota’s large population of Somali Americans, progressives and late-deciding voters with a history of backing quirky independent candidates allowed “uncommitted” to put up a strong showing.