Michigan residents react to Biden’s withdrawal from race, throw their support behind Harris

President Joe Biden’s decision Sunday to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, saying the Democratic nominee is the favorite, sent shockwaves through Michigan, though most residents initially said they welcomed the move.

From Mackinac Island to Lansing to Metro Detroit, voters had mixed reactions to Biden’s decision, which came about a month before the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention. While many welcomed the move, some took a wait-and-see approach about whether they would back Vice President Kamala Harris now if she became the nominee after the president endorsed her.

Samuel Klahn, 27, of Lansing said he thinks Biden’s withdrawal from the race was likely the right decision for the president.

The “Uncommitted” movement during the Democratic presidential primaries shows that Biden did not have the support of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, particularly in Michigan, Klahn said.

Biden won the Michigan Democratic primary on February 27 with 81% of the primary vote, followed by uncommitted with 13.2%. The Democratic president lost in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Hamtramck to the “uncommitted” vote.

“I think that plays a role in this race,” Klahn said. “Hopefully, bringing in someone else will bring back some of those votes from the left. But it’s not set in stone yet.”

Klahn will likely vote for Biden’s replacement — “whoever isn’t Trump.”

Chris Kelly of Pleasant Ridge, a Democratic stronghold in southern Oakland County, said Sunday he was glad Biden withdrew from the Democratic nominating process but indicated he still would have voted for Biden over former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

“I thought it would be good for the Democratic Party,” said Kelly, 42, an associate professor at Wayne State University. “I’m excited about the next generation taking on new leadership roles in the party and the country.”

He expects to support Harris as the Democratic nominee, but wants her to earn that honor at the convention, scheduled for Aug. 19-22.

“I think she’ll be a great nominee and president,” Kelly said. “I’m excited to support her once she gets the nomination.”

The developments “will help the presidential race focus more on the issues and will absolutely be better (for Democrats) in lower-vote territory,” he said.

“It’s unconventional, so with uncertainty comes worry. But there’s plenty of time. Now that the convention can focus on the future, I think there’s time for a very meaningful election.”

But Mark Denny, 55, of Lansing, said he is not a Biden fan and thinks Harris is an even worse candidate because she lacks the experience needed for the job. Harris is a former U.S. senator and California attorney general.

But Denny, a Republican, doesn’t like Trump either, saying he would prefer someone more moderate and interested in helping people.

Denny said he doesn’t know who he’ll vote for in November. He said the two-party system is “flawed” and needs candidates who care more about people’s livelihoods than themselves.

“I don’t think either party does that anymore,” Denny said. “Unfortunately, I think both parties are corrupt and complacent. That’s all I see left in politics: politicians getting rich on salaries that should not make them rich in any way.”

Still, Jessica Dahl of Royal Oak said she feels sorry for Biden and is “really sad” that he dropped out of the race. She also said she didn’t think he wanted to.

But the move will be good to “maybe have someone who is younger and more energetic,” said Dahl, a 53-year-old Democrat, adding “someone who can beat Trump.”

Dahl said she appreciates Biden’s policies, including on climate change, and that the economy is “plodding along.”

“I think he’s done a lot of good for the country,” she said. “He’s just a smart, kind person. I think he … tried to bridge the gap and get a lot of things done.”

Biden’s move was a “positive thing” for Todd Karinen, a 51-year-old independent from Lansing. “It’s not going to affect my voting record anyway, because I always vote Democratic, but I think it’s going to help.”

Karinen, who has a 27-year-old son, said Gen Z and millennials he knows aren’t jumping to vote for Biden. “Bringing someone younger, even if it’s Kamala Harris, I think it’s going to be a really positive thing and I think it’s going to bring in more younger voters,” he said.

Libby Correll and Ryan Lesniak, both 23, visited Mackinac Island from Chicago and were surprised, but not completely.

“It was kind of expected because it’s been rumored for a while,” Lesniak said of his initial reaction.

Correll said Biden’s timing “isn’t the best, in the sense that maybe we should have thought about this a little bit earlier.”

Both said they would support Harris over Trump, but Lesniak said he would like to see some of the candidates debate each other at the party convention next month.

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