His number of votes almost exceeds that of all Democrats combined

Michigan is a state of about ten million inhabitants, whose main city is Detroit, and which since the 1992 presidential elections has always voted Democratic, with the exception of 2016, when Trump carried it, along with its 16 members of the electoral college (now there are 15) by less than 11,000 votes. In 2020, Biden’s lead exceeded 150,000 votes.

In the primaries, around 18% of the population, nearly 1.9 million inhabitants, voted. Biden won on the Democratic side, nothing surprising for a sitting president, although his senility is undeniable. And on the Republican side, Trump won, with more than 40 points advantage, to her only rival, Nikki Haley. What is surprising are the numbers, which show the pessimism of the Democrats and the enthusiasm of the Trumpists.

Biden obtained 623,000 votes and 101,000 blank votes were also recorded (uncommitted) in protest of the White House’s support for Israel in the Gaza conflict. Together with the other two candidates, the total number of participants in the Democratic primaries was 768,256. In 2020, Biden attracted 840,000 voters compared to nearly 580,000 for leftist Senator Bernie Sanders. In that year, participation exceeded one and a half million, and has now fallen by half.

In the Republican primaries, participation exceeded one million one hundred thousand people, lower than the most contested in 2016, which was almost 1,400,000. Trump received almost 760,000 ballots. Haley stayed close to 300,000. In the 2016 primaries, Trump received 483,000 votes, increasing his support by 50%.

The former president has come closer to the sum of all Democrats. He has fallen behind by only 10,000 votes. And this occurs in a state with a democratic tradition, poor (it has one of the highest unemployment rates in the US, although lower than Spain) and with a union presence. These results may anticipate a new victory for Trump, as long as any of the surprises of election night 2020 are not repeated. And the governor, the Democrat Gretchen Whitmeralready held this position four years ago.

Next Sunday, Republicans will hold primaries in two Trump states, Idaho and Missouri. And that same week, on the 5th, the super tuesdayin which the two parties will hold primaries in which around a third of the delegates who will attend their respective conventions will be elected.