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'Uncommitted' vote campaign to send 2 Washington state delegates to Democratic National Convention

caption: Aretha Basu cheers during a gathering to celebrate the effort of those who worked to secure uncommitted delegates to send a message to President Biden, as initial results arrive for the presidential primary on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Tanoor in Seattle.
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Aretha Basu cheers during a gathering to celebrate the effort of those who worked to secure uncommitted delegates to send a message to President Biden, as initial results arrive for the presidential primary on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Tanoor in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

The "uncommitted" vote in Washington state's Democratic presidential primary has attracted just enough support to send two delegates to the party's national convention this summer, the Washington State Democratic Party confirmed to KUOW on Monday.

The protest campaign won more than 15% of the Democratic vote in Washington's 7th Congressional District, which covers most of Seattle, the Seattle Times reported on Friday. That was the threshold the campaign needed to reach to send delegates to the national convention in Chicago in August.

RELATED: These Washington Democrats are voting 'uncommitted' to send message to Biden

Local activists organized the "uncommitted" vote to send a message of disapproval to President Joe Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. They've called for the president to support a permanent ceasefire.

Biden easily won the vast majority (84.5%) of Democratic primary votes in Washington, compared to the 9.9% that voted "uncommitted" statewide. Biden has secured 90 of Washington's pledged Democratic delegates.

The party elects delegates at its state convention in June.

"We encourage every Democrat in Washington to consider running for delegate," party spokesperson Stephen Reed told KUOW in an email.

A representative of the "uncommitted" campaign in Washington told KUOW that it will be "vetting very thoroughly" candidates for its two delegate positions.

The "uncommitted" campaign was behind on election night on March 12 but gained ground as ballot counting continued.

RELATED: How did Washington's 'uncommitted' voters do on presidential primary night?

Organizers previously told KUOW the movement was "not about trying to deny [Biden] anything. It's about trying to get him to hear our voices."

"Nearly 90,000 Washington voters agree: a more peaceful and just world is possible," said organizer Faheem Khan, president of resident of the American Muslim Advancement Council, on Monday. "Biden is risking his second term and our democracy by continuing to support the kind of violence and cruelty that is being perpetrated in Gaza right now.”

So far, supporters of the "uncommitted" effort in a handful of states across the country are sending at least 20 additional delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August.

Editor's note: KUOW's Chief Digital Officer Rami Al-Kabra is also the elected deputy mayor of Bothell and a spokesperson for the "uncommitted” campaign. His work at KUOW is not related to his work as an elected official and he has no involvement in KUOW's news gathering.

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