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Nevada caucuses: vote counting under way in crucial contest Nevada caucuses: Bernie Sanders declares victory
(about 2 hours later)
Electorate in ‘first-in-the-west’ primary is more representative of Democratic party than voters in earlier states Senator wins crucial ‘first in the west’ caucuses in diverse state, AP projects
Counting is under way in Nevada , where residents on Saturday cast their votes in the “first in the west” primary contest that will play a key role in choosing the Democratic candidate to take on Donald Trump. The Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has declared victory in the Nevada caucuses, solidifying his frontrunner status in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Saturday’s caucuses marked the first voting in a state with a diverse electorate that more closely resembles the demographics of the US and the Democratic party. Nevada is nearly 30% Latino and 10% black and has a rapidly growing Asian American population. “We won the Nevada caucus, and we won BIG!”, Sanders told supporters in an email. Sanders’ announcement came shortly after the Associated Press reported it projected the Vermont senator to win the vote in the Silver state.
Polls ahead of the vote projected a win for the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. On Saturday afternoon, Sanders held the lead based on very early returns. . Based on exit polls and around 4% of precincts officially reported, Sanders has a comfortable lead. At this early stage of results, the former vice-president Joe Biden appeared to be in second place, with Senator Elizabeth Warren and the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg trailing behind.
Voters had started lining up at some of the 200 caucus sites across the state well before the caucuses. After days of perma-blue skies, it was raining in Las Vegas on Saturday, with volunteers bracing against the conditions to welcome voters to their sites. On the Las Vegas Strip, hotel and casino workers streamed into the Bellagio, one of seven casino-resorts there that served as caucus sites. The Nevada caucuses come at a critical moment in the Democratic primary, a week before the South Carolina race and just before Super Tuesday, in March, when 14 states will vote. In a state that is nearly 30% Latino, 10% black and has a rapidly growing Asian American community, the Nevada results were a compelling sign of Sanders’ strength in diverse states that more closely reflect the demographics of the Democratic party.
Voting started at noon and many sites had wrapped up by 2pm local time. Nearly 75,000 residents had cast their ballots ahead of the caucuses on Saturday. A majority were first-time caucus-goers, according to Democratic party officials. The victory for the self-proclaimed democratic socialist follows strong results in Iowa and New Hampshire this month.
Angelica Romero, 54, gained citizenship last year and said it was a privilege to cast her vote for the first time. Romero, who works as a guest room attendant on the Strip and is a member, was caucusing for the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. “The morals of Bernie are the same as those of my family and myself,” she said, mentioning his Medicare for All plan and his proposal for free college education. On Saturday in Nevada, Sanders supporters celebrated across the state as it became clear early on that the senator was getting significant support at the caucuses. Unlike traditional private votes, the caucuses have voters gather in groups based on their top-choice candidate, allowing them to switch to a second choice if their first pick doesn’t garner enough support to get a delegate.
Sanders’ final rally in Las Vegas on Friday night attracted more than 2,000 people, according to his campaign. Supporters waved cellphone lights in the air. Thousands screamed and clapped as the Vermont senator, at an outdoor amphitheater and backlit in blue, mentioned his signature policies. “The American people understand that it is time for fundamental change,” Sanders said. “Bernie Sanders means hope to me,” said Donny Brooks, a 19-year-old student caucusing at the University of Nevada, Reno. “Bernie represents a push against the status quo. A win for Bernie is like an actual win for the public.”
The caucuses could be a make-or-break moment for several of the other Democratic contenders. Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states to vote in the Democratic primary season, are 90% white and delivered strong results for the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg. But polling has shown the more moderate candidate struggling with black and Latino voters. The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, the other midwestern candidate vying for moderates, has also polled poorly with voters of color and has recently faced tough questions about her record as a prosecutor. Nevada is the third contest in the Democratic primary race. The first two primary states, which are 90% white, had also delivered strong results for Buttigieg, but polling had shown the more moderate candidate struggling to earn the support of black and Latino voters.
The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren had disappointing results in the first two states, but a standout debate night in Las Vegas this week has re-energized her campaign. Warren’s team said on Saturday they had raised more than $14m in the past 10 days. Warren was pushing for a surge in Nevada after her widely celebrated performance at the debate days earlier in Las Vegas. Warren announced on Saturday she had raised $14m in the last 10 days, double the amount her campaign had set out as a goal ahead of the caucuses.
Joe Biden’s poll numbers have continued to drop since his weak performance in the previous two contests, and another disappointing finish could jeopardize his bid for the presidency. Nevada’s “first-in-the-west” caucuses were also a major test for the campaign of the former vice-president Biden, who was a frontrunner in polls last year but performed poorly in the first two state contests. Biden gave a triumphant speech in Vegas before the results were finalized, and his campaign manager said he appeared to be in second place. “The press is ready to declare people dead quickly. We’re alive. We’re coming back,” Biden said to cheers.
The billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had an embarrassing first debate performance this week, is not on the ballot in Nevada due to his late entrance into the race. The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, another midwestern candidate vying for moderates, had earned an unexpected third-place win in New Hampshire, but also polled poorly with voters of color.
At Sparks high school outside Reno, a group of Sanders supporters were the first to arrive hours before the caucus, encouraging voters to back the Vermont senator as they lined up. The former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg was not on the ballot in Nevada due to his late entrance into the race, and the billionaire’s campaign has faced intense scrutiny this week after a particularly embarrassing first debate performance in Vegas.
After days of perma-blue skies, it was raining in Las Vegas on Saturday, with volunteers bracing against the conditions to welcome voters to their sites. On the Las Vegas Strip, hotel and casino workers streamed into the Bellagio, one of seven casino-resorts there that served as caucus sites.
Angelica Romero, 54, gained citizenship last year and said it was a privilege to cast her vote for the first time. Romero, who works as a guest room attendant on the Strip, was caucusing for Sanders. “The morals of Bernie are the same as those of my family and myself,” she said, mentioning his Medicare for All plan and his proposal for free college education.
At Sparks high school in northern Nevada, a group of Sanders supporters were the first to arrive hours before the caucus, encouraging voters to back the Vermont senator as they lined up.
Essie Richard, a 73-year-old resident, was not swayed.Essie Richard, a 73-year-old resident, was not swayed.
“I’m Biden all the way. He was vice-president for eight years. He has the experience,” said Richard, adding that protecting social security and Medicare was the most important issue to her: “I’m barely surviving.”“I’m Biden all the way. He was vice-president for eight years. He has the experience,” said Richard, adding that protecting social security and Medicare was the most important issue to her: “I’m barely surviving.”
Naomi Zamarripa, an 18-year-old high school senior, also arrived early and said she was excited to cast her first vote for Sanders: “I love his commitment. He’s been around for so long. He keeps fighting and stays true to his beliefs.” Naomi Zamarripa, an 18-year-old high school senior, also arrived early to caucus and Sparks and said she was excited to cast her first vote for Sanders: “I love his commitment. He’s been around for so long. He keeps fighting and stays true to his beliefs.”
A few miles away at the University of Nevada, Reno, voters waited in a long line to get inside a lecture hall. Many Sanders and Warren supporters in line carried signs, some engaging in lively debates and trying to convince each other to change their minds at the last minute. Linda Hunt, a 68-year-old Sparks voter who showed up to caucus with “Nevada for Bernie” signs, said it was hard not to be moved by Sanders’ message: “To be truthful, I love his passion, how he feels about the way we are supposed to be going in this world.” She said she was also terrified of four more years of Trump: “This guy in the White House will be the end of us life as we know it.”
Sam Difulvio, a 19-year-old student, said she was still torn between the two progressive candidates minutes before the process started. “I’m trying to hone in on their character and see who I like as a person. I want to hear what normal people have to say about the candidates.” This was the first year Nevada offered early voting opportunities, and nearly 75,000 residents had cast their votes before Saturday. A majority were first-time caucus-goers, according to Democratic party officials.
Cat Dow, 29, said she was excited that this was an election with two candidates she actually liked – Sanders and Warren. “Elizabeth’s debate really shook me. I love her, she kicked ass, everything she said was so salient and so relevant and she was so tough.” But Dow, who works in computer technology, said she was sticking with Sanders, adding: “I want the national embarrassment out of office more thananything else.” “Nevada determines how things are going to go in the rest of the country,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, the secretary treasurer for the Culinary Union, the state’s most powerful labor group, which represents Las Vegas casino workers.
Unlike private votes in traditional primaries, the caucuses have voters gather in groups based on their top-choice candidate, giving them an opportunity to switch to a second choice if their first pick doesn’t gather enough support to be considered “viable” in that precinct. Nevada Democrats had been scrambling for weeks to avoid the technology failures that caused chaos in the Iowa caucuses, due to mishaps involving an app. Results on Saturday trickled in slowly, as Nevada officials tabulated the results.
Nevada Democrats had been scrambling to avoid the technology failures that caused chaos in the Iowa caucuses, due to mishaps involving an app. Nevada officials initially said precincts would use Google forms software to relay the votes, but a day before the election said they would instead rely on a more traditional phone hotline. The last-minute changes have raised concerns that the counting could be slow or messy, and the party has said it cannot commit to releasing same-day results after the caucuses. Cat Dow, 29-year-old Reno voter, said she was excited that this was an election with two candidates she actually liked – Sanders and Warren. “Elizabeth’s debate really shook me. I love her, she kicked ass, everything she said was so salient and so relevant and she was so tough.” But Dow, who works in computer technology, said she was sticking with Sanders, adding: “I want the national embarrassment out of office more than anything else.”
Nevada is the second-to-last contest before 14 states vote on Super Tuesday in March. Just minutes before the process started, Sam Difulvio, a 19-year-old Reno student, said she was still torn between the two progressive candidates: “I’m trying to hone in on their character and see who I like as a person. I want to hear what normal people have to say about the candidates.”
“Nevada determines how things are going to go in the rest of the country,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary treasurer for the Culinary Union, the state’s most powerful labor group, which represents Las Vegas casino workers. At one precinct at the university, Sanders won overwhelming support, leaving a small handful of Buttigieg and Warren supporters unable to win a delegate. Carissa Bradley, a 23-year-old Warren fan in the group, said she hoped Nevada would move away from the caucus system in the future: “It’s super archaic. It’s not conducive to introverts or people who aren’t politically active. And it creates issues for people who work on the weekends or can’t take all this time off.”
At one precinct at the university in Reno, Sanders won overwhelming support, leaving a small handful of Buttigieg and Warren supporters unable to win a delegate. Carissa Bradley, a 23-year-old Warren fan in the group, said she hoped Nevada would move away from the caucus system in the future: “It’s super archaic. It’s not conducive to introverts or people who aren’t politically active. And it creates issues for people who work on the weekends or can’t take all this time off.”
Bradley said she was ready to back any nominee: “It doesn’t matter who becomes the candidate – as long as we all vote blue.”Bradley said she was ready to back any nominee: “It doesn’t matter who becomes the candidate – as long as we all vote blue.”