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.
Super Tuesday 2024: Five takeaways from Minnesota’s presidential primary contests
The November election will likely be a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 6, 2024 at 9:40PM
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.
In Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood, for example, election officials said that only two voters cast ballots between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. They expected it was because of a lack of competitive races.
Trump got nearly as many votes as Democrats did overall
The front-runner for the Republican nomination for president got nearly 233,000 votes across Minnesota, according to the secretary of state’s election results page. GOP rival Nikki Haley got just over 97,000 votes. Meanwhile, a little more than 244,000 voters cast a ballot for a Democratic candidate and uncommitted.
Biden garnered 171,272 votes. Meanwhile, Legalize Marijuana Now, which maintains major party status in the state, took 2,252 votes.
November is likely a Biden vs. Trump rematch and both face challenges
Secretary of State Steve Simon said that two factors typically contribute to turnout: Candidates can inspire strong feelings or voters can feel a sense of competition.
Democrats have criticized the sitting president over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and his age has repeatedly become an issue on the campaign trail.
Trump has lost the popular vote twice, and his record supporting candidates down-ballot has been murky at best as he’s often thrown his weight behind controversial figures whose extreme views fail to win in general elections.
Star Tribune staff writer Briana Bierschbach contributed to this report.
