From 'uninstructed' Dems to non-Trump Republicans: Takeaways from Wisconsin's primary

MADISON — Wisconsin voters selected their parties' nominees for U.S. president Tuesday, though a November rematch between Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump was already virtually a lock.

Voters also weighed in on two referendum questions that would amend the state Constitution.

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday's primary election and other ballot issues.

Biden, Trump dominate primary contests

Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump secured decisive victories in their parties’ respective primaries.

As of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Biden topped his party’s primary with about 88% of Democratic votes, while Trump led the GOP primary with 79% of votes. Trailing Biden at 8.6% was the “uninstructed” vote, while former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who ended her campaign last month without endorsing Trump, followed the former president with nearly 13%.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, of Minnesota, picked up 3.2% of Wisconsin's Democratic votes after suspending his primary bid and endorsing Biden last month. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ended his campaign and endorsed Trump in January, picked up 3.4% of the GOP vote. DeSantis was trailed by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

More: Immigration and 2020 false claims: Takeaways from Donald Trump's Wisconsin rally

'Uninstructed' Democratic votes outpace Biden's 2020 margin

Voters who chose "uninstructed delegation" more than doubled the 20,000 votes President Joe Biden won the state by in 2020, sending warning signs for his reelection chances in this battleground state.

As of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, more than 46,680 "uninstructed" votes were cast on Democratic ballots, compared to more than 12,150 on Republican ballots.

Voters displeased with Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war organized into a "Listen to Wisconsin" campaign that mirrored other states like Michigan and Minnesota, where a similar "uncommitted" option took about 13% and 19% of the vote in the Democratic primary, respectively.

The "uninstructed" vote totals show Biden's vulnerability among a group of Democratic voters who are concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Organizers who spoke to the Journal Sentinel said they were using the uninstructed option to protest the Biden administration's military aid for Israel. Many stressed they do not want to give Trump another term, but rather send a message to Biden that he needs to change his approach before the Nov. 5 election.

"The polling is very clear ― the Democratic base wants to stop funding for (Israel Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s war machine," Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a Tuesday interview with MSNBC’s Ana Cabrera. "So, if your question is, is it going to hurt the president unless he turns this around? Yes, it will."

Democrats tout voting volume

“Today, Wisconsinites turned out in force to make their voices heard, delivering a resounding victory for President Joe Biden in the Democratic Primary and racking up tens of thousands more votes than Trump," Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman Ben Wikler said in a statement. "President Biden’s strong showing tonight reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to Wisconsin families and the issues they care about — and to a future defined by more freedom, not less."

As of 11:50 p.m., Biden had received 492,281 votes to Trump's 449,247.

The "uninstructed" Democratic vote total was 47,043, while Haley racked up 72,807 votes.

Conservatives celebrate constitutional amendments

Conservatives cheered the passage of two measures that will amend the state Constitution to prohibit clerks from using private grants to administer elections and add that only appointed election officials can perform tasks to conduct elections.

The two questions were written as follows:

QUESTION 1: "Use of private funds in election administration. Shall section 7 (1) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum?"

QUESTION 2: "Election officials. Shall section 7 (2) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums?"

Republicans and conservative groups encouraged voters to support the measures with a "yes" vote, while Democrats and liberal groups advocated for "no."

"Victory! Wisconsin has spoken and the message is clear: elections belong to voters, not out-of-state billionaires. Thanks to the efforts by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and grassroots organizing, Wisconsinites have turned the page on Zuckerbucks and secured our elections from dark money donors," said Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Brian Schimming in a statement.

'BOW' 'WOW' counties track with statewide trends

More: Gilbert: For Donald Trump, Wisconsin in 2024 looks a lot like Wisconsin in 2016

As political observers increasingly look to these key voting regions, here's how Wisconsin's "BOW" and "WOW" counties voted:

Brown County Republicans supported Trump with 80% of the vote, followed by 12% for Haley. Democrats in the county went for Biden by 92% with 5% voting "uninstructed."

Outagamie County Republicans followed suit, with 79% backing Trump and 13% supporting Haley. Biden earned 91% of Democratic votes, followed by 6% for "uninstructed."

Winnebago County Republicans backed Trump with 78% of the vote, while Haley earned 14%. Among Democrats, Biden had the support of 91%, while 6% went for "uninstructed."

Waukesha County Republicans gave Trump an 80% margin, with Haley coming in second with 13%. Biden earned 91% of Democratic votes, with 6% for "uninstructed."

Ozaukee County Republicans broke the mold just a bit: 75% supported Trump, while 17% backed Haley. Democrats in the county aligned with others, with 92% backing Biden and 6% voting "uninstructed."

Washington County Republicans went for Trump by 81%, while 12% supported Haley. Ninety-one percent of Democrats selected Biden, while 5.5% opted for "uninstructed."

Hope Karnopp and Tamia Fowlkes contributed.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 takeaways from Wisconsin's presidential primary