(BrightPress.org) – Presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump lost votes to Nikki Haley on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania Primary. Haley ended her campaign in early March but refused to endorse Trump. Trump won the primary election by more than 83%, but Haley received more than 155,000 votes without actively campaigning.
Trump has enough delegates to secure himself as the Republican nominee but appears to be lacking support from the more moderate voters who supported Haley over Trump. The main concern is that Haley supporters will not vote for Trump in November.
Incumbent Joe Biden also took a hit in the Pennsylvania primary. Seven percent of Democrats chose U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota over Biden. Phillips also dropped his campaign in early March. More than 60,000 write-in votes for Democrats were counted on Tuesday which included several write-in votes for “uncommitted.” The “uncommitted” campaign was created by a substantial group of voters as a way to protest Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The exact number of write-in votes for “uncommitted” is not yet available.
Multiple public polls indicate a very tight race between Trump and Biden. Currently, the two candidates are essentially tied in Pennsylvania which has historically been the deciding state in presidential elections.
Republican strategist David La Torre said Trump needs to make his case in Pennsylvania by addressing concerns about the economy. La Torre also said Trump needs to stop “talking about himself and how he’s a victim” and just campaign.
The primary results in Pennsylvania are a sign that many voters are not pleased with either candidate being in the White House for the next four years.
Both parties are claiming a win of sorts in Pennsylvania. Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt touted another “resounding primary win” while Ammar Moussa with the Biden campaign said the Republican support for Haley indicates Trump is alienating voters with “extremism.”
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