‘Uncommitted’ vote wins at least 5 delegates in Kentucky Democratic primary against Biden

The “uncommitted” vote secured at least five delegates in Kentucky’s Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), dealing the latest blow to President Biden amid criticism from his own party over the handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

More than 32,900 of voters in the state, nearly 18 percent, selected “uncommitted” instead of Biden, who received more than 131,000 votes (71 percent), per DDHQ’s results..  

A combined 11 percent went to the incumbent’s long-shot challengers, author Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who dropped out of the race earlier this year.

The results in the Bluegrass State follow a trend seen in some other early primaries this year, including in Michigan, where 13 percent of primary votes cast a protest ballot for “uncommitted,” scoring two delegates in February.

“Uncommitted” has secured 28 delegates so far in the 2024 primary race, according to DDHQ’s tracker, compared to Biden’s 3,750 pledged delegates.

While the “uncommitted” vote does not pose any serious risk to the incumbent, who has already clinched the Democratic nomination, the movement is a symbol of the backlash he faces over his approach to the conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

The president and his White House staff have attempted to walk a fine line to balance supporting Israel’s right to defend itself and condemning antisemitism, while also calling for the country to permit more aid into Gaza and to take more caution in protecting civilian lives in the region.

While “uncommitted” was not a formal option on Tuesday’s primary ballot in Oregon, organizers in the state also urged voters to write it in.

Former President Trump easily won the Republican primary vote in Kentucky, securing nearly 85 percent of GOP votes, equal to more than 215,600 votes. His ex-rival, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, still secured about 6 percent of the state’s primary vote, underscoring Americans’ frustrations with the former president and his expected rematch against Biden in November.