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| Democratic debate: candidates set to clash in crucial test before Nevada caucuses – live | Democratic debate: candidates set to clash in crucial test before Nevada caucuses – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Six candidates – Sanders, Warren, Biden, Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Bloomberg – seek to break through as state readies for first primary contest in the west | Six candidates – Sanders, Warren, Biden, Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Bloomberg – seek to break through as state readies for first primary contest in the west |
| Harry Reid, a former senator from Nevada who served as the Senate Majority leader from 2007 to 2015, said Nevada should be the first state to vote, because of its diversity and because of the state’s strong record of electing women. | |
| “Women have empowered us,” said Reid, who is in the audience of the debate. | |
| Can Pete Buttigieg broaden his appeal? | |
| I reported from California last week on whether Pete Buttigieg could capitalize on his strong early primary performance as he heads to Nevada, a diverse state that many see as more representative of the Democratic party today than earlier-voting states. | |
| Read the full story here. | |
| Bernie Sanders is leading in polls with 31% support nationally, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll. Mike Bloomberg is in second place, with 19% support – which allowed him to qualify for today’s debate. Joe Biden comes in third, with 15% – down nine points since December – and Elizabeth Warren was fourth, with 12% support. | |
| Amy Klobuchar – who made a strong showing in New Hampshire and in the previous Democratic debate – has gained a few points since the poll was last conducted, in December. She placed fourth with 9% support, followed by Pete Buttigieg with 8%. | |
| However, Buttigieg currently has the most delegates of the pack – one more than Sanders – following his narrow advantage in Iowa. | |
| Inside the busy lobby of the Paris Theater in Las Vegas, there is a wide range of Nevada voters trying to get seats for the final debate before the state’s Saturday caucus. I didn’t find any Mike Bloomberg supporters in line, but there were a fair number of Elizabeth Warren supporters – and even a small group of Andrew Yang fans, despite his recent decision to suspended his campaign: | |
| “We’re trying to get people to vote for him to show there’s support for his ideas,” said Hannah Won, 37-year-old arts advocate and Yang voter who is a supporter of his signature universal basic income proposal. “It’s larger than him. It’s about his movement. It was kind of inevitable [that he would drop out], but I was hoping for another week. We mourned for a bit. But this isn’t over. He’s gone, but his movement is still alive.” | |
| “This is the biggest election of our life time,” said Linda Gannon, a 49-year-old Vegas resident who showed up to the debate hoping to get a seat to see Buttigieg, her top choice. “I’m a bit worried about him in Nevada, but I think he’s got a shot. I feel confident any of the Democrats can beat Trump. We have to feel that way, and I will support any of them.” | |
| Jocelyn Torres, 30, said she was a Warren fan and that she thinks the senator can do well on Saturday: “Her plans are progressive and doable. I think we can have big ideas, but if we can’t get them done, they are just ideas.” | |
| Lorraine Oliver, a 68-year-old public health nurse in line to get into the debate, said she recently got a chance to meet Warren in person and was sold: “She has such in-depth knowledge. But she’s not polling as well as I’d like. I need her to shoot up in the polls.” | |
| Not long after the Democrats looking to unseat him take to the debate stage, Donald Trump is expected to speak at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona. | |
| The Arizona rally is the first of three rallies Trump has scheduled in three Western states. He’ll head to Colorado on Thursday and then Nevada on Friday, providing counterprogramming to the upcoming Democratic caucus in the latter. | |
| Earlier today, the president was in California, where he spoke about the construction of the southern border wall and access to water for farming. He also took an opportunity to jab his Democratic rivals. “Mini Mike hates the farm. I don’t know, I don’t think he’s going to be the candidate anyway. Have to start working on Crazy Bernie pretty soon,” Trump said. | |
| The bellwether caucus | |
| The caucus format of the “first in the west” vote tends to favor the campaign with the strongest ground support, reports Dan Hernandez from Las Vegas. | |
| Read the full story here. | |
| Good evening, liveblog readers! | Good evening, liveblog readers! |
| Tonight, the six presidential candidates are gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the ninth Democratic debate of this election cycle. We’ll be bringing you live updates from the debate throughout the night. | Tonight, the six presidential candidates are gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the ninth Democratic debate of this election cycle. We’ll be bringing you live updates from the debate throughout the night. |
| What to expect | What to expect |
| The Democratic presidential debate in Nevada will bring together six candidates days before the state’s caucuses, and could be a make-or-break moment for some of the campaigns. | The Democratic presidential debate in Nevada will bring together six candidates days before the state’s caucuses, and could be a make-or-break moment for some of the campaigns. |
| Facing off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening are Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; the former vice president Joe Biden; the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg; and the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. | Facing off in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening are Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; the former vice president Joe Biden; the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg; and the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. |
| The debate comes one week after Sanders won the New Hampshire primary, setting the stage for a primary battle between the Vermont senator and the more moderate candidates fighting his momentum. On the heels of a strong performance in the messy Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg came in a close second in New Hampshire, where Klobuchar’s unexpected surge won her third place, and Warren and Biden both experienced disappointing results. | The debate comes one week after Sanders won the New Hampshire primary, setting the stage for a primary battle between the Vermont senator and the more moderate candidates fighting his momentum. On the heels of a strong performance in the messy Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg came in a close second in New Hampshire, where Klobuchar’s unexpected surge won her third place, and Warren and Biden both experienced disappointing results. |
| The February results make Saturday’s Nevada caucus a high-stakes race for many of the candidates, and the debate is providing the final opportunity for them to make their pitch on national TV. | The February results make Saturday’s Nevada caucus a high-stakes race for many of the candidates, and the debate is providing the final opportunity for them to make their pitch on national TV. |
| “The pressure is building here, and the gloves are going to be off,” said Fred Lokken, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows community college in Reno. | “The pressure is building here, and the gloves are going to be off,” said Fred Lokken, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows community college in Reno. |
| Sanders is likely to become a target of many of the candidates given his frontrunner status, similar to the way Biden was a magnet for criticisms in the early debates last year, Lokken predicted. | Sanders is likely to become a target of many of the candidates given his frontrunner status, similar to the way Biden was a magnet for criticisms in the early debates last year, Lokken predicted. |
| Read more from Sam Levin here. | Read more from Sam Levin here. |