Activists who had organized tens of thousands of voters to “non-committally” support President Biden in place declared victory Tuesday night and vowed to carry their anti-war push to the Chicago Democratic Convention.
“We won a huge victory tonight,” former Michigan Rep. Andy Levin said, speaking to “non-committal” supporters at a watch party in Dearborn that featured cheers, spontaneous dancing to Palestinian music and pledges , the movement that organizers had cobbled together took a matter of weeks to expand.
“I hope that after the results tonight – and we're going to Chicago, by the way – we'll be at the Democratic National Convention in 174 days, pushing this anti-war movement forward and growing it,” the Michigan state representative said. Abraham Aiyash, the House Majority Leader.
He and other supporters of the campaign spoke as the number of “disengaged” rose to 30,000 at the end of their event and to 50,000 by midnight.
“So if they didn't listen … after 30,000 and they didn't listen after the hospitals were bombed, maybe they'll listen to Michigan,” he said at a watch party for the “uncommitted” effort, alluding to an estimated death toll in the Gaza Strip.
Participants dance the dabke during a no-ballot election night event as Democrats and Republicans hold their Michigan presidential primary on February 27, 2024 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA.
“And we have an opportunity in Chicago to bring that message to Congress and move this party platform to finally change course on things like unconditional aid to Israel. We are starting to discuss what to do with settlements,” Aiyash told . He said the group would “use” its new power to ensure the Democratic Party was “anti-war” and “anti-genocide.”
Under the party's 15 percent rule, candidates must reach 15 percent statewide or within individual congressional districts in order to send delegates to the convention.
“I think we will win enough votes to send delegates to the convention,” Levin said.
There were also solemn moments as organizers held a moment of silence for active-duty airman Aaron Bushnell, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC
The thousands of votes for “non-binding” were a warning signal for the president regarding the war in Gaza.
In a show of restraint, Biden thanked “every Michigan resident who made their voices heard today” in his statement on the results. “Exercising the right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great.”
Activist Abbas Alawieh leads the Dabke dance during an election night meeting without a fixed vote. Supporters viewed the tally as a victory, even though President Biden won the state's primary
There were also celebratory gestures on an evening in which speakers paid tribute to Palestinians killed in Gaza and active-duty airman Aaron Bushnell, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC
Layla Elabed, Abbas Alawich, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Lexis Zeidan spoke to supporters in Dearborn as “non-binding” received thousands of votes in Michigan
“Four years ago, it was Michigan’s diverse coalition that came together to reject Donald Trump’s MAGA extremism and sent me and Kamala to the White House,” Biden said.
Biden was in the lead on Tuesday evening with almost 80 percent of the vote. But “non-binding” was at 15 percent, with more than 25,000 votes and rising. That was already more than the bar that activists had set for themselves. This corresponds to a majority of votes of around 16 percent.
However, this percentage decreased over time as more votes were received in high turnout primaries. As of midnight, “Uncommitted” had received about 13 percent of the vote. This was the last time an incumbent Democrat was re-elected, and voter turnout was lower.
By comparison, “Uncommitted” hit 11 percent in 2012 during President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.
The Associated Press called the Biden race immediately after the last polls closed Tuesday at 9 p.m.
Biden faced symbolic opposition on the ballot from Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, but his real fight was against “Uncommitted” and against himself. Biden has come under scrutiny in the state for his handling of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza taken, and many Arab-American voters in Dearborn and other parts of Detroit have expressed anger over the war.
The Squad member, Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), has sharply criticized Biden and pushed the “non-binding” effort.
A group of activists organizing a campaign for “Uncommitted” saw the results as a reason for a victory rally Tuesday evening, filling the Adonis Restaurant next to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn with food, music and declarations of victory – along with statements about the growing victims of the war in Gaza.
“Here in southeast Michigan, the people in our Arab American community have a shocking level of expertise. “So many of us survived U.S.-sponsored bombings,” Listen to Michigan co-organizer Abbass Alawieh said at a post-election rally that “non-committal” supporters viewed as a victory rally.
“That's all we ask.” Just stop killing our families. Actually it's not that complicated. Just stop killing our families, President Biden. “You can do it,” he said.
Layla Elabed, another organizer, said volunteers made a million voter calls as part of the effort.
Elabed, Rashida Tlaib's sister, called on Biden to “bring about a permanent ceasefire and end uncontrolled unconditional military aid that is funding a genocide in 2024,” she told “non-committal” supporters as votes came in.
As the votes came in, Tuesday's event seemed like a victory celebration
There was little doubt that President Biden would win the Democratic primary in Michigan. Activists have called for the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip to be “non-binding”.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) voted “non-committal” rather than President Joe Biden as she accused the US of supporting “genocide” against Palestinians. After the vote, she posted a video
She said activists had told the US government that “funding endless wars is not the right way, but there is a better way that saves the children who are being killed… That brings back the hostages and prisoners.” “There is a better path of diplomacy and peace and not genocide.”
“This is not a messaging problem.” “This has become a bomb problem,” said “Listen to Michigan organizer Lexis Zeidan.”
“We won a huge victory tonight,” former Rep. Andy Levin told the crowd. “This is a victory for American democracy tonight,” he added.
“Our message to the president is clear. There is no time to lose. “We need a permanent ceasefire now,” he said.
“It is not lost on me that this president has softened his language and begun to acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians,” said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. “But what is not enough is lip service.” “What we need is a complete withdrawal of support for the most radical and tyrannical government in Israel’s history.”
“I was proud today to come in, pull a Democratic ballot and vote non-binding,” Tlaib said in an interview Video She posted on Tuesday afternoon.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud criticized Biden for commenting on recent ceasefire talks on Monday while the president was eating ice cream.
“I don't care about lip service or words.” “I'm looking for action,” he told outside a polling station.
Khalid Turaani, co-founder of the “Abandon Biden” movement, predicted that thousands would vote “non-binding.”
“I guess I find it strange that you're eating ice cream in a parlor – this is the moment you're talking about an impending ceasefire,” said Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, Michigan
President Joe Biden discussed talks of a temporary ceasefire while eating ice cream with “Late Night” host Seth Meyers in New York on Monday
Biden faced calls for a permanent ceasefire and a push to vote “non-binding.”
Dearborn has a high proportion of Arab American and Muslim voters
“I think 10,000 is appropriate and I think we'll get there,” he told as he handed out sample ballots marked “non-binding.”
Of the first six people he spoke to outside a polling station in English and Arabic, “only one didn't say he wouldn't vote non-committally. He wasn't talkative.”
Ten thousand is roughly the number by which Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020, a testament to the influence Arab American voters could have in November's election.
It's the numbers activist group Listen to Michigan that has set the goal.
But “non-binding” has had greater success in the recent Democratic presidential primaries.
Uncommitted reached about 20,000 votes against President Barack Obama in 2012, and a similar amount when Hillary Clinton battled Bernie Sanders in 2016, and four years later when Sanders challenged Biden.
State party leaders are not publicly panicking. The Biden campaign organized a press call when most polls in the state were closed to reassure the media.
Members of the Michigan state Democratic Party “know how to beat Donald Trump.” “We've done it before and we'll do it again,” state Chairwoman Lavora Barnes told reporters.
Former Michigan Rep. Andy Levin, a leader of “non-commitment” advocates, said he didn't want Donald to “never come near the White House again.”
But he told at a “non-binding” watch party that Biden's problems were much more than just tactical after the president was criticized for not meeting with Arab-American leaders during his visit here than discontent increased.
“It's not that they didn't come soon enough or didn't do enough… This isn't a political problem. He can't solve it with really good deputies.”
He said that Biden or any other Democrat “will not win without Michigan” and that “Joe Biden cannot win Michigan without changing course.”