News
February 9, 2024
Election Watch: The Nevada Primary and Caucus Are a Bit Different
The latest showdown in the competition for the Republican nomination between former-President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley took place this week. Nikki Haley was on one ballot on Tuesday, where she came in second with 30.8% of the vote. Trump was on the ballot last night, where he won. The situation is a little confusing, so let’s break it down.
The competing ballots are the result of a conflict between the state Republican Party and a 2021 Nevada law that mandates that a primary must be held. Presidential nominating caucuses are run by the state’s political parties, not the actual state itself, and are the only place candidates can pick up delegates ahead of their party’s national convention. Only candidates competing in last night’s party-run primary can receive the state’s 26 delegates. In that party-run primary, President Trump ran virtually unopposed.