On primary day, young Michigan voters are leading call to be 'uncommitted' to Biden

At a coffee shop in Hamtramck, Mich., a small city near Detroit, state Rep. Abraham Aiyash points out where he started in politics.

"It's a little up the street," he said, looking out the window. "The UAW hall where I started doing my work in Hamtramck for the Obama campaign."

At 13 years old, he was inspired by former President Barack Obama's 2008 run and knocked on a collective 10,000 doors for him.

Now, at 30, Aiyash is the majority floor leader in the Michigan House of Representatives, but there's no 2008 feeling when he looks ahead to this presidential election — in large part because of President Biden's handling of Israel's war in Gaza.

"Far from it," he said. "It's hard to see excitement in a presidential candidate when you see the death and destruction."

"And coupled with that," he added, "what appears to be a callous disregard for that carnage."

A movement led by young organizers and amplified by young leaders

The son of Yemeni immigrants, Aiyash is one of several young elected leaders supporting the Listen To Michigan campaign — a pledge to vote uncommitted in the primary unless President Biden calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halts additional aid to Israel.

"We are hoping that this uncommitted movement will allow this administration to course correct and shift their policymaking and shift their strategy on the conflict in Gaza to hopefully save more lives," he explained, "this is why we are voting uncommitted. To save lives."

But as the conflict continues following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel killing 1,200, nearly 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed. Some Democratic voters who were part of Biden's 2020 winning coalition – including Muslim and Arab Americans, progressives