Persistent primary protest votes haunt Trump in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania plays a crucial role in determining the outcome of the November election.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the White House on April 2, 2024, call for a ceasefire in Gaza. (AFP via Getty Images)

A significant portion of Republican primary voters in Pennsylvania opted for former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in Tuesday’s election, even though former President Trump secured the party’s nomination more than a month ago.

Pennsylvania could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the November election. In 2020, President Biden won the state by approximately 80,500 votes. Haley garnered at least 147,000 votes in Pennsylvania’s GOP primary on Tuesday, with over 90% of the votes counted.

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Trump secured victory by approximately 68,000 votes over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. In the recent Pennsylvania GOP primary, Trump was expected to win easily and ultimately received 84% of the vote with 92% of precincts reporting, according to AP projections.

Although Haley, who suspended her presidential campaign in early March, garnered 17% of the vote as of 11:15 p.m. (local time). Trump maintained a dominant position in the Republican primary, winning decisively in every state. However, there are potential warning signs for the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.

In crucial swing states like Arizona and Wisconsin, over 20% of Republican primary voters opted for a candidate other than Trump. Conversely, Biden has encountered a more organized protest vote within Democratic ranks regarding his unwavering support for “Israel” amid its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, but he has managed to deflect this challenge more effectively than his Republican counterpart. In both Wisconsin and Arizona, just over 10% of Democratic primary voters chose candidates other than Biden.

here are some of the reasons I give when asked why I will not vote for Biden in the swing state of NC! #AbandonBiden https://t.co/bi2wvcxDt5

— Rania Masri / رانية المصري (@rania_masri) April 19, 2024

In Pennsylvania, organizers encouraged voters to support the “Abandon Biden” initiative to protest Biden’s handling of the Israeli aggression in Gaza, which resulted in the killing of over 34,000 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania primary occurs amid a new stage for Trump in the presidential race. With 34 felony charges in his New York legal case, Trump is primarily campaigning from the courtroom as the trial unfolds over the coming weeks.

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