Pennsylvania GOP Primary Sees Protest Vote Against Trump

In Pennsylvania’s presidential primaries, former President Trump faced a sizable protest vote, with more than 157,000 ballots cast for Nikki Haley, amounting to 16 percent of the GOP primary vote. While Trump ultimately won the primary with 83 percent of the vote, the significant support for Haley raises questions about whether these voters will ultimately support Trump in November, stay home, or even back Biden.

This protest vote against Trump is not unique to Pennsylvania, as other states have also shown dissatisfaction with the former president. Haley received 13 percent in Wisconsin, 13 percent in Georgia, 18 percent in Arizona, and 27 percent in Michigan. These results signal a growing discontent within the GOP towards Trump.

On the Democratic side, President Biden also faced protest votes over his administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. A coalition urged Democratic primary voters in Pennsylvania to write-in “uncommitted” on their ballot, reflecting a similar sentiment seen in other states like Michigan and Minnesota.

Aside from the presidential primaries, several contested races took place in Pennsylvania, with Rep. Summer Lee and former news anchor Janelle Stelson emerging victorious in their respective Democratic primaries. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie also secured wins in their GOP contests.

In the U.S. Senate primaries, Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick both won their respective races, although the Senate race in Pennsylvania has been relatively quiet compared to the other competitive races in the state.

Overall, the primary results in Pennsylvania reflect a growing trend of protest votes against both Trump and Biden, signaling a potential shift in voter sentiment leading up to the November elections.