Biden to face at least 35 'uncommitted' delegates at Chicago DNC

As the Democratic National Convention approaches, a growing number of delegates remain uncommitted, with a significant block in the party unsatisfied with President Joe Biden’s leadership.

Currently, Biden has secured 3,664 delegates, yet over 682,000 voters in the primary have cast "uncommitted" ballots or written in different candidates, resulting in 35 uncommitted delegates that will be present at the convention. 

This trend reflects dissatisfaction among far-left voters, many of whom have launched campaigns like "Abandon Biden" or "Leave it Blank" in protest of Biden's stance during the Israel-Hamas conflict and his perceived lack of condemnation of Israel.

In February, over 100,000 Michigan Democrats, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, voted "uncommitted" rather than support Biden in the primary. Tlaib, who supports the Palestinian cause, rallied her constituents to join that movement.

In Pennsylvania, over 60,000 Democrats wrote in a candidate rather than vote for Biden, further illustrating the internal opposition he faces within his own party, especially in swing states that are pivotal to re-election.

Political analyst Andra Gillespie of Emory University commented on the implications of this trend, pointing out that while there obviously are not enough delegates to hold up Biden’s re-election efforts, this group could prove large enough to have a voice during the convention.

“This group of uncommitted delegates certainly will have a voice and will certainly be represented and exists to kind of highlight the concerns that folks and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party have with the administration’s response to the war in Gaza,” Gillespie explained, according to the Washington Examiner. “But when you only have a few dozen delegates, out of thousands of delegates, you don’t have the type of pool to demand, for instance, a seat at the table.”

The majority of voters opting to vote “uncommitted” or write-in a separate candidate consist of young voters, far-left activists, and Muslim Democrats, many from key swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. This demographic could attempt to leverage their lack of support into pressuring Biden to endorse more radical left legislation during the convention. 

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place starting August 19 in Chicago.