On Tuesday, Minnesotans joined voters in 14 other states in choosing their preferred candidate for president, providing the clearest picture yet of who the Democratic and Republican nominees will be in November.
Here are five takeaways from the results in Minnesota.
Uncommitted voters turn out in droves in Democratic contest
Nearly 46,000 Democratic voters marked their ballot “uncommitted” in Minnesota’s Democratic primary, many to signal their dissatisfaction with how the Biden administration has responded to the war in Gaza, which has seen mass civilian casualties. The sum was far above the 5,000-vote target set by progressive leaders.
The goal, they said, was to pressure the White House into advocating strongly for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. On Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz told CNN he believes “the president is hearing that.”
Dean Phillips flops, drops
U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., dropped out of the presidential race Wednesday after earning fewer votes in his home state than Biden or even the “uncommitted” movement. Phillips launched his longshot bid for the White House in late October, garnering attention as the lone elected official running against the incumbent president but drawing few voters.
Phillips garnered about 8% of the vote, while 19% of Minnesotans cast a ballot for “uncommitted.”
Low turnout
Nearly 885,000 voters turned out for the 2020 presidential primary in Minnesota. This year, a little more than 585,000 voters went to the polls or voted absentee.
The numbers were low even before Tuesday’s contests began. More than 156,000 Minnesotans cast ballots during early voting in 2020. This year, fewer than 89,000 eligible voters turned out early for the state’s second-ever presidential primary.
