Biden, Trump Win Their Parties' Primaries In Michigan

The primary election in the state was an unusual test for the sitting US president.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump soundly won the Michigan presidential primary election on Tuesday, Radio Svaboda reports.

Joe Biden, running from the Democratic Party for a second presidential term, received about 80 per cent of the vote, according to preliminary data, while Donald Trump, seeking the Republican Party nomination, received 67 per cent. While Joe Biden has virtually no competitors, Trump's rival Nikki Haley, who received about 28 per cent of the votes, has announced her intention to continue to fight for the nomination.

Observers say Trump's victory in Michigan - his fifth consecutive win in the primaries - confirms his status as the undisputed front-runner in the race for the Republican Party nomination. They do not rule out the possibility of Haley refusing to continue to fight for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in the event of disappointing results for her during the so-called Super Tuesday - primary elections in 15 states at once, which will be held on March 5. As Haley stated, it is "quite possible" her views have diverged from those of the Republican electorate.

The Michigan primaries were an unusual test for Joe Biden. Despite his convincing victory, about 15 per cent of Democratic voters refused to cast their votes for any of the candidates, which observers interpret as a sign to Joe Biden that a significant portion of the Democratic electorate opposes his policy of supporting Israel in its confrontation with the radical Hamas group. Such sentiment is particularly noticeable in Michigan, since a significant percentage of the state's population is of Arab descent.

The months-long primary election process will end in June. The bipartisan presidential candidates will be formally endorsed at the Republican and Democratic Party Conferences in July and August.