HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Voters in Connecticut's presidential primary cast their ballots on Tuesday. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have already secured enough support in previous state primaries to become the presumptive nominees for their respective parties.
That sense of inevitability hung over much of Tuesday's primary.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas noted, "What we have been hearing on the ground from people over the last few weeks is that this isn't a competitive primary."
Thomas also touted success in the rollout of early voting in Connecticut. 2024 marks the first year that early voting is available in the state.
In the Republican presidential primary, Trump is the sole remaining candidate contesting his party's nomination. For top Republicans in Connecticut, Trump represents a double-edged sword. GOP leaders say their base of voters strongly supports Trump, but the former president presents a challenge for the party in deep-blue Connecticut.
"There are Republicans that are concerned with having Trump on the ballot again. In a state like ours, we believe it hurts Republicans," said State Rep. Vincent Candelora, the State House GOP Leader.
"All the issues that are important to people, President Trump delivered on. So, I think people want the policies," Candelora said. "They don't want the person. That's what they struggle with."
On the Democratic side, Biden is similarly positioned as the presumptive nominee of his party. Biden does, however, face a political challenge from a group of Democratic activists urging voters to select the "uncommitted" option on primary ballots as a form of protest against Biden's policies toward Israel.
"We're intending this to be a wake-up call to Biden," said Sarah White, a Hartford lawyer who has organized support behind the "uncommitted" vote. White and her fellow advocates are calling for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel and have strongly criticized the U.S.-Israel alliance.
"I don't want Trump to win in November, but, you know, in order for that to happen, we need Biden to shift policy towards Israel," White said.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a supporter of Biden, said: "You can be uncommitted today, but in November, you gotta take a stand."
Blumenthal argued that Biden is "imposing increasing pressure" on Israel in order to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza with the ultimate goal of reducing civilian casualties.
Looking toward the November general election, Blumenthal was blunt about how he sees the stakes.
"We are determining history here," he said." "No fooling around, no staying home. It really counts."
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