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LAS VEGAS (AP) – The “none of these candidates” option wins in Nevada’s iconic Republican presidential primary, but it’s embarrassing for Nikki Haley, who was the only major candidate on the ballot. This was the result.
Live Results: Nevada Primary
The former U.N. ambassador chose to participate in the state’s primary election on Tuesday rather than the party’s presidential caucus, which is the only election in the state to honor delegates for the nomination. Former President Donald Trump is the only major candidate participating in Thursday’s caucuses, likely resulting in a landslide victory for the state’s Republican delegates.
Taking advantage of a quirk in Nevada election law, more voters marked “None of These Candidates” on their primary ballots on Tuesday than voted for Haley.
Haley said in advance that she would “focus on fair states,” and did not put much effort into campaigning in western states.
The lackluster approach may also have contributed to Tuesday’s campaign, which began the day with lower-than-expected turnout. In Washoe County, the state’s second-most populous county, 183 people voted in person in the first two hours of voting, officials said. In Clark County, home to Las Vegas and Nevada’s most populous county, 2,298 people voted in person during the same two-hour period. Nevada voters also have the option of voting by mail or before Election Day.
The Democratic primary was also held on Tuesday, with President Joe Biden easily defeating author Marianne Williamson and a handful of lesser-known challengers. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota is not on the ballot.
Jeff Turner, 65, arrived at the Reno Town Mall with a ballot marked “None of these candidates.” It’s an option that Nevada lawmakers added to statewide elections decades ago, and it’s the first time since the former president and Republican Party that the front-runner is an option that many Trump supporters are likely to choose. Not on the ballot.
Turner’s chosen candidates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and then-businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, also chose to participate in Thursday’s caucuses, meaning they would not be on the ballot if they remained in the race. There probably wasn’t. Turner is among those lamenting the growing possibility of a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden.
“I think that’s my duty,” Turner said of voting in elections where the candidate of his choice isn’t on the ballot. “I think we all have the right to vote, and we should all vote. Even if it’s not for one of these candidates, it’s at least my position. And I think everyone else should too. I hope you understand.”
Haley, a former U.N. ambassador, rejected the Nevada caucus as unfair and set up by the state party to hand victory to the former president. Her campaign balked at the $55,000 fee the Nevada Republican Party is charging candidates to attend its caucuses.
“We are not spending a penny or an ounce of energy in Nevada. We decided early on that we would not pay $55,000 to a Trump entity to participate in a process designed for Trump. ” said Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney. he told reporters on Monday. “Nevada is not, and never has been, our focus.”
Haley’s campaign dismissed concerns about how she would fare in the landmark primary, instead focusing on her home state of South Carolina and the Feb. 24 primary.
Ralph Eastwood, 64, a former truck driver who lives in Las Vegas and is a Biden supporter who primarily votes against Trump, changed his registration to Republican to gain Haley’s support.
“As stupid as it may seem, she is anti-Trump,” Eastwood said. “Who do you really want to be president? Someone with a proven ability to truly control their emotions and a long-standing instinct to sacrifice people just because they can.” Are you a person?”
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to pick all 26 of Nevada’s Republican delegates in Thursday’s campaign. He needs 1,215 delegates to officially clinch the party’s nomination, a number he could reach in March.
“If your goal is to win the Republican presidential nomination, you should go where the delegates are, and Nikki Haley chose not to participate,” Chris Lacivita, Trump’s senior campaign adviser, said in an interview. I’m confused,” he said.
Biden was in little danger of losing the primary, but he campaigned in western states on Sunday and Monday to begin energizing voters ahead of November, when Nevada will be a key battleground state.
Speaking in North Las Vegas on Sunday, Biden described a potential Trump second term as a “nightmare.”
Trump’s campaign advisers also view the primaries as an opportunity to test out general election strategies.
“This is a national campaign, and this is what a national campaign does,” Lacivita said. “We will not forget anyone. We will not take anything for granted.”
The caucuses on Thursday night are expected to turn out in Trump’s favor. Trump, with strong grassroots support, is already well-positioned if caucuses are held instead of primaries. The contest requires organizing supporters in the state and encouraging them to show up in person at a designated time.
But Nevada’s Republican Party has made things even worse, passing an amendment that would prohibit super PACs, like those relied on by former candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, from supporting candidates. The Nevada Republican Party also barred Republicans from running in primaries, where Republicans could show support from more voters if they wanted to participate in party-run caucuses.
Nevada’s role in the early states has been ignored during election cycles due to its distance from Washington and the notoriety of other early races in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. .
The state does not have a long tradition of locals playing a decisive role, and has yet to do so since 2008, when the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a seasoned political power broker, gave home states the top spot. It is only an early state. Presidential primary election calendar.
Nevada’s high population movement and the state’s rapid growth have attracted people unfamiliar with its relatively early role.
But all that aside, the state has been especially neglected this year as the incumbent president is running for the Democratic ticket, the former president is running for the Republican ticket, and the only major challenger has largely ignored the state. .
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence also opted to run in the Nevada primary before ending their campaigns. Due to the timing of the announcement, their names will still appear as options on the ballot, but in addition to this, a special feature under Nevada law that allows voters to choose “none of these candidates.” There are regulations in place.
The Nevada Legislature added a “none of these candidates” option to all statewide elections as a way for post-Watergate voters to participate and still express dissatisfaction with their choices. Although “None” cannot be elected to public office, they came in first place in the 1976 and 1978 Congressional primaries. In 1980, he defeated both George Bush and Edward Kennedy in the Nevada presidential primary.
Karian Burgess, interim registrar of voters in Washoe County, which includes Reno, said the two processes are a source of confusion and frustration for voters. For months, her office has been fielding calls from Republican voters asking questions such as which election to vote in and why Trump wasn’t included in the primary ballots they received by mail. Those calls continued Tuesday.
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Price reported from Washington and Stern from Reno, Nevada.
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