U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said she didn’t vote Tuesday in Minnesota’s presidential primary but told Politico that she understood why scores of voters marked their ballots uncommitted.
Rep. Ilhan Omar didn’t vote in Minnesota primary, says uncommitted voters are ‘angry and frustrated’
Nearly 46,000 Democratic primary voters cast a protest vote against President Joe Biden Tuesday.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 7, 2024 at 2:14PM
Nearly 46,000 Minnesotans voted that way, many to protest President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, which has seen massive civilian casualties. Progressive activists originally set a goal of getting about 5,000 votes in the uncommitted column.
“People are angry and frustrated and sad. They want the president to change his policies,” Omar told Politico. “They’ve tried marching. They’ve tried writing letters. They’ve tried calling and now they’re using their voice at the ballot box.”
The uncommitted movement originated in Michigan, where more than 100,000 people cast such a ballot — about 13% of the Democratic turnout. In Minnesota, about 19% of DFL primary voters voted uncommitted.
Minnesota Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips dropped out of the presidential race after receiving 8% of the primary vote in his home state. He endorsed Biden soon after.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
