(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary while President Joe Biden cruised to an easy victory on the Democrats’ side.
The races were called within an hour of polls closing, with the GOP primary determined with about 80% of the vote counted.
Biden received more than 126,000 votes while the “uncommitted” spot received more than 23,000 votes, a vote protesting the Israel-Hamas conflict and the U.S’s continual funding of the war.
Trump received more than 150,000 votes, about 66%, to Haley’s 67,000 and 29.4%. Trump has won every primary or caucus thus far.
A candidate needs 1,215 delegates to win the nomination.
Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, welcomed Trump’s win.
“Michigan Democrats have passed expensive green energy laws that will raise electricity prices, and they’ve raised taxes on working families while giving taxpayer-funded handouts to corporations for electric vehicle battery plants,” Hall said in a statement. “This artificial push for EVs will shut down auto plants and lay off workers.”
Biden also welcomed the victory.
“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 in a statement, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. “Because of Michiganders, we’ve been able to work hand in hand with Governor Whitmer and the incredible Democratic leaders in Michigan’s congressional delegation to deliver enormous progress. I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with UAW workers last year as they led the fight for the wages and benefits they deserve.”
In 2016, Trump won Michigan by just under 11,000 votes in a race against Hiillary Clinton. In 2020, he lost to Biden by more than 154,000. Michigan had 16 electoral college votes each time; it has 15 this year.
