LAS VEGAS – After a confusing series of dueling Republican elections in Nevada, former President Donald Trump touted his caucus win while former Ambassador Nikki Haley lost the primary but still technically won. On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden easily secured victory in the state’s presidential preference election, marking a significant win for the party.
The state’s Republican Party held its own caucuses after a legally mandated primary, causing confusion for some voters. Haley, the former South Carolina governor, skipped the caucuses, alleging that they were rigged in favor of Trump. Despite receiving fewer votes than “none of these candidates” in the primary, she technically won because the law stipulates that only a named candidate can win.
Trump’s supporters expressed frustration with the complicated process, but ultimately celebrated his show of strength at the Republican caucus site near the Strip, where he took the stage to celebrate his long-expected caucus victory.
Haley’s campaign downplayed the Nevada primary results and indicated plans to continue campaigning in various states, despite the Trump campaign’s efforts to demonstrate solid support for the former president in her home state of South Carolina.
The age of Trump, 77, and Biden, 81, emerged as a point of concern for some voters, with questions raised about their mental acuity. Trump supporters expressed frustration over attempts to keep him off certain state ballots and accused the court of preventing voters from choosing their preferred candidate.
This election marks an important milestone for both political figures, as the field of candidates begins to narrow, setting the stage for an intense and closely-watched race toward the presidential election.