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RENO, Nev. – In an embarrassing setback, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley lost Tuesday’s Nevada Republican presidential primary to “none of these candidates.”
The loss means little because former President Donald Trump decided to sit out the Nevada presidential primary and is instead expected to win Thursday night’s Republican-led caucuses. This victory gives the state all 26 delegates.
But it was a symbolic blow for the former governor, who finished third in Iowa and second in New Hampshire and is next in his home state’s Republican primary on February 24. He received nearly 32% of the vote, while the “None” camp received nearly 62% after nearly two-thirds of the state’s votes were counted.
Many Republican voters were initially confused as to why Trump was not on the ballot, but said they did not vote for “any candidate” supporting the former president.
“I wanted Donald Trump to be there,” said Ron Stanley, 64, a Republican voter and truck driver who delivered his ballot in person in downtown Reno shortly before noon.
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At first, when they saw Trump’s name not on the ballot, they thought election officials had rushed the vote, but when they realized that Trump had chosen to sit out the primary, they The former president is there for a reason, Stanley said.
Stanley, who worked in the Texas oil fields, said he voted “no” in protest.
“Nikki Haley is not the answer. Mr. Trump is someone whose business background has shown that he can make the tough decisions we need. Small businesses and family farms are in great numbers. The answer is not more government.”
Nevada’s competitive caucuses and primaries were the first nominating contests in the West.
Tuesday’s election was unusually quiet compared to years past, with no campaign signs in sight and no enthusiastic volunteers cheering for their preferred candidates outside polling places.
Turnout appeared to be low, with no clear boundaries, and fewer than 12,000 ballots had been cast by 2 p.m. About 150,000 Nevadans voted early, by mail or by absentee ballot, representing about 13% of eligible voters, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Haley is still the official winner
Even though “none of these candidates” received more votes, the person with the most votes is declared the winner, according to Nevada law.
Outside a Reno polling place Tuesday, Gary Benedetti, 75, said he hopes Haley remains in the race. Benedetti, a longtime Republican voter, can’t stand the idea of Trump becoming president again, he said.
“Change is needed. “I’m tired of the drama. If things don’t work out with her, I’m going to go out on my own,” he said. However, I have no intention of voting for Trump. There are too many red flags hanging over his head. ”
Benedetti dismissed the idea of attending Thursday’s Republican caucus, saying, “If you want to have a discussion with someone, there’s a better place. Caucuses should be abolished. We need to restore civility to the Republican Party.” ” he said. . ”
Haley’s campaign pointed out that she did not campaign in Nevada because the whole thing was a setup for Trump.
“Donald Trump knows that when you play penny slots, the house wins,” said spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas. “We weren’t going to bother playing a game that was set up for Trump. We’re fully committed in South Carolina and beyond.”
Trump wasn’t on the ballot, but many people wish he had been on the ballot.
On Tuesday, many Republican voters remained confused as to why Trump’s name was left off the primary ballot, despite widespread awareness efforts by the media and election officials.
Washoe County Registrar of Voters Karian Burgess said most voters were understanding after staff explained that Trump himself had made the decision to sit out the primary.
“He has opted out of participating in the Nevada presidential primary,” Burgess said Tuesday. “But he’s in the caucus.. ”
Michael Holton, a Republican who works in manufacturing, said he reluctantly voted “for no candidate” at his South Reno polling place.
Holton, 61, said she wished former President Trump would have participated in the primary so he could beat Haley in a head-to-head contest. Holton said Haley, President Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations, was rebelling against his former boss.
“It’s a shame he’s not on the ballot,” Holton said. “I think the caucus will be strong for him, but it’s a shame he’s not on the ballot.”
Former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, laughed and declined to say who he voted for after voting. Sandoval, currently president of the University of Nevada, Reno, voted in the university’s student union.
Sandoval told USA TODAY that he believes most of the concerns about dueling primaries and caucuses have passed, and that he supports anything that allows more people to participate in the political process. Sandoval was first elected as Nevada’s attorney general in 2003, then served as a federal judge before being elected governor twice starting in 2010, but was forced to resign due to term limits.
“Yes, there will be some disruption, but if it encourages more people to come out and participate in the process, I’m all for it,” Sandoval said.
Biden also won
President Joe Biden cleared nearly 90% of the Democratic vote, although he faced no serious opposition in the polls. He easily defeated self-help book author Marianne Williamson and a number of other challengers who met the basic qualification rules. Nearly 6% of Democrats said they would not vote for any of these candidates.
Biden acknowledged victory in a statement just before midnight Eastern time, thanking the Nevada Democratic Party for its support and praising them as “the backbone of our country.”
Voter Bruce Bartlett, 80, said he voted for Biden to show support for the president. Bartlett, a former district attorney investigator, said Biden has done a good job of improving America, given what he inherited from Trump.
“We’re concerned about our country and we want to try to do the right thing,” Bartlett said.
Like several other voters, Bartlett was frustrated by the age of both Biden and Trump and called for a new generation of leaders.
“When I retired at age 62, I realized that times had changed. It was time to hand over my work to a new generation,” Bartlett said, adding, “And do it for elected officials as well.” The time has come.”
University student Emma Berggren, 21, also said she would like to meet young candidates. Ms. Berggren said she supports Mr. Biden because he is tackling student loan debt issues for young people like herself, and after she voted for Mr. could further increase interest among younger voters, she said.
“I think we need to engage more with my generation. I don’t really care about parties. I care about who is going to do things for us,” she said. .
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