Michigan Democrats express skepticism about how their primary will play out amid anti-Biden push over Israel-Hamas war

Elected Democrats in Michigan on Sunday indicated they're unsure how President Joe Biden will perform in the state electorally ahead of the Tuesday primary, citing calls from the left for Michigan Democrats to vote uncommitted over his approach to the Israel-Hamas war.

During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who serves as a surrogate in Biden's re-election campaign, was asked about divisions within the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war, with Democratic lawmakers such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib calling on voters to vote uncommitted in protest of Biden's response to the war.

"How many uncommitted votes do you think we’re gonna see on Tuesday? How worried are you?" CNN anchor Dana Bash asked Whitmer.

Whitmer replied that she's "not sure" how Tuesday's primary will turn out, noting that Michigan has a "robust" Arab, Muslim and Palestinian community, as well a "robust" Jewish community.

"We’ve lived in harmony as neighbors for decades, and there’s a lot of pain all across all of these communities because of what’s happening halfway around the world," she said, adding that she expects to see "differences of opinion" reflected in the primary and stressing that she doesn't want voters to "lose sight of the fact that any vote that’s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term."

But Whitmer also acknowledged the "pain" people feel amid the Israel-Hamas war.

"I’m encouraging people to cast an affirmative vote for President Biden. I understand the pain that people are feeling and I’ll continue to work to build bridges with folks and all of these communities, because they’re all important to me," she said. "They’re all important to Michigan, and I know they’re all important to