Top Democrat Flips, Refuses To Back Biden

This election cycle, President Joe Biden will not have the backing of the top Democrat in a crucial Michigan battleground county, highlighting his lack of enthusiasm within his own party less than six months before the election.

Mark Hackel, the Democratic candidate for Macomb County Executive, informed blogger Noal Finley on Monday that he does not intend to cast a ballot in the presidential election due to his distaste for Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

“I am disappointed because I have no interest in voting for president,” he declared. “Neither of the candidates appeals to me.” Rather than discussing themselves and their views, all they do is criticize one another.

“I refuse to work for him.” I will let Macomb residents make their own decisions. He went on, “I am not going to vote for someone just because a political party says I have to.”

Adolph Mongo, a Democratic consultant, informed Finley that Democrats “will have to put a lot more resources” in Macomb County and that Hackel’s decision “hurts Biden.” He also cited Hackel’s pro-mode proclivities as the basis for his denial of both Biden and Trump.

With around 900,000 citizens, Macomb County is the third-largest county in Michigan by population. It is located in the southeast part of the state and has been heavily involved in recent elections. In three of the previous four presidential elections, the winner went on to win both the state and the White House.

According to the New York Times, Trump carried Macomb County by double digits in 2016 after former President Barack Obama won it by 8.6 percent and 4 percent in 2008 and 2012, respectively. In 2020, the trend reversed as Trump won the state by eight points, but Biden won the state and electoral college.

Hackel’s decision to reject Biden coincides with the president’s struggles with Democratic voters in Michigan and other states. Notably, the Listen to Michigan campaign launched the nationwide anti-Biden “uncommitted” movement, which has seen over 500,000 Democratic primary voters express disapproval of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict by casting varying forms of “uncommitted” ballots. Muslims, Arab Americans, young voters, and progressives on the far left are all part of this movement.

With almost 100,000 ballots, the group exceeded its target of 10,000 “uncommitted” protest votes in the Michigan primary. The risk is that these undecided voters in Michigan and other crucial swing states, such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, may abstain from voting in the general election, greatly hurting Biden’s chances of winning reelection.

In Michigan, the 101,430 undecided votes are comparable to the 154,188-vote difference between Trump and Biden in 2020.

Additionally, a Muslim activist group named Abandon Biden is planning activities in Michigan and eight other swing states to stop Biden from obtaining reelection as the primary season comes to an end and the general election gets closer, according to the Star-Tribune.