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Biden wins primary, students react with support for Sanders

March 12, 2020
<p>Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden visits Renaissance High School in Detroit on March 9, 2020.</p>

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden visits Renaissance High School in Detroit on March 9, 2020.

Results for Michigan’s 2020 primary election have been reported and former Vice President Joe Biden has claimed the winning spot for Michigan’s Democratic primary with 72 delegates and 52.9% of the votes.  

Michigan State students share their deciding factors for voting in Michigan’s 2020 primary and if they voted based on the policies and values of each candidate or their potential performance in the upcoming presidential elections.   

“I voted for Bernie,” philosophy junior Simone Carpenter said. “I think he’s really the voice for the youth, we don’t have anyone that is representing us like he is. He is very liberal just as I am … and I believe that we need somebody radical to make the change that we needed.” 

Sanders was able to claim 52 delegates and 36.4% of the votes, according to The New York Times.

Carpenter said she thought a lot of people preferred Biden because he is a safe pick and a lot of people are afraid to see change. Carpenter said she was disappointed to see the results that Biden won Michigan, Missouri and Mississippi.

“I was disappointed too when I went to the polls,” Carpenter said. “I was at Precinct 3 in East Lansing and there was no one voting in the building other than me. I think it was busier in maybe Precinct 1 or 2 but I was a little disappointed that there weren’t as many people that came out.”

Marketing major Alaina Agnello said the candidate she preferred dropped out of the race prior to the primary, so she decided to vote for Biden.

She said the election was on her mind during the past few days. 

“I wouldn’t say that he (Biden) aligns with my values perfectly, but no candidate is going to,” Agnello said. 

“I would consider myself more moderate, so I wanted a more moderate candidate. I really liked Pete Buttigieg, but he dropped out. I didn’t really want Bernie Sanders because I think he’s a little bit too on the left for me.”  

Agnello said she voted for Biden because she thinks he has a good chance of beating President Donald Trump. 

“I voted for Bernie Sanders,” Jalen Burks, finance senior, said. “The deciding factor for me was that he is the most progressive of the two candidates for the Democratic Party.”

Burks said Sanders’ campaign has been reaching out a lot to him. The supporters showed up at his doorstep earlier on voting day. 

“They’re getting a lot of young people out to vote and most everyone I talk to, they’re feeling Bernie as well,” Burks said.

Sophomore psychology major Serena Boykin voted for Sanders. She said at first, there were a couple other candidates she was interested in, but they started dropping out.  

“I’ve always liked Bernie,” Boykin said. “I was interested in (Elizabeth) Warren initially but a lot of (Bernie’s) ideas line up with what I believe in, what I stand for the country, so I believe he was the best candidate. After Warren dropped out, I pretty much figured that he was the next best.” 

Boykin said she was a little concerned about how Sanders would perform, but for the most part, she voted based on a mixture of how much she agreed with his values and how she thought he would perform in the general election. 

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