U.S. President Joe Biden and former U.S. President Donald Trump won the Georgia Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, respectively, on March 12. This win gave Biden enough delegates to officially clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. Trump also secured the delegates needed for the Republican nomination this evening, bringing the United States to a rematch of the 2020 presidential election.
As of press time, Biden garnered 244,431 (95.2%) votes to secure 108 Georgia delegates, with Marianne Williamson falling far behind in second place with 7,538 (2.9%) votes. In the Republican race, Trump garnered 465,927 (84.5%) votes to win 52 Georgia delegates. He beat out former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who received 73,021 (13.3%) votes.
This comes after Haley announced on March 6 that she was dropping out of the Republican primary race after only winning the state of Vermont on Super Tuesday. Haley did not endorse any candidate for president after her announcement.
Biden also won today’s Democratic primary races in Mississippi and the Northern Mariana Islands. He is still awaiting results for the Democrats Abroad presidential primary, which was held from March 5 to March 12. Additionally, Trump won today’s Republican primary election in Mississippi and is awaiting results for the Republican caucus in Hawaii. Voters are still casting their ballots in today’s Democratic and Republican primary elections in Washington, where polls close at 11 p.m.
Both Biden and Trump held campaign rallies in Georgia on March 9. Biden campaigned in Atlanta, while Trump did the same about an hour away in Rome, Ga.
Biden’s win in Georgia with 95.2% of the vote comes after a group of pro-Palestinian Democrats began urging voters to cast “uncommitted” ballots to protest the Biden administration’s handling of the current conflict in Gaza. Antiwar advocacy groups have consistently urged Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and halt U.S. aid to Israel. However, while Biden has called for a temporary ceasefire and provided some humanitarian aid to Gaza, the White House has largely supported Israel in the conflict, inspiring the groups to push for “uncommitted” votes.
A notable portion of Democratic voters cast “uncommitted” ballots in recent weeks, including about 29% in Hawaii, 19% in Minnesota and 13% in Michigan. Of the three states that held Democratic primary elections today, only Washington offers voters an “uncommitted” option.
Update (3/12/2024 at 11:40 p.m.): This article was updated to reflect that former U.S. President Donald Trump has secured the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican presidential nomination.
