CNN
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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will lose to “none of these candidates” in Nevada's non-binding Republican primary, but former President Donald Trump is not on the ballot. This resulted in an embarrassing defeat in the election campaign.
The results likely reflect the fact that many Republican voters support Mr. Trump in states where they can express dissatisfaction with all the candidates listed on their ballots.
“Even Donald Trump knows that the house wins when he plays penny slots. We didn’t bother playing a game that was set up for Trump. But we are fully committed,” Haley campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement to CNN. Haley is expected to receive the second-highest number of votes in the primary.
The state Republican Party has chosen to select delegates through party-run caucuses, and Trump is expected to win the caucuses on Thursday, so the Republican primary didn't matter much. The party does not allow primary participants, including Haley, to participate in its caucuses, leaving Trump with little competition.
Still, Haley is looking to prove to Republican donors and voters that she's still a viable candidate as she prepares for her next head-to-head showdown with Trump in the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24. For him, the results are disgraceful.
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side of Nevada, President Joe Biden won the state's presidential primary and will add delegates from the race for first place in the West as he looks to win the party's nomination in 2024.
For Biden, Tuesday's Silver State primary comes three days after he scored his first official victory in the 2024 presidential nomination race in the South Carolina primary.
The race for first place in the West, Nevada, is currently second on the Democratic calendar after the party dropped Iowa and New Hampshire. This change is intended to ensure a diverse range of voters participate as the Democratic presidential nomination race begins.
“The Nevada Democratic Party represents the backbone of our country: the union workers who built the middle class, the immigrants who came here for opportunity, and the people who deserve dignity, personal freedom, and a fair share of the American Dream.” Families of all colors deserve the challenge,” Biden said in a statement Tuesday night. “Tonight, they remind all of us that we believe in an America that treats everyone with honesty, civility, dignity, and respect. A place that leaves no one behind. We are so grateful for their support.”
In the Democratic primary voting, Biden faced only nominal opposition from more than a dozen candidates, including author Marianne Williamson. The president's other most prominent Democratic challenger, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, is not on the ballot because he entered the race after the state's Oct. 16 filing deadline passed.
Biden spent Sunday in Las Vegas, telling attendees at a rally: “We're going to make Donald Trump a loser again.”
He also emphasized his administration's economic efforts, saying he knows “we still have a lot of work to do,” regarding how he can talk about the still-sluggish economy during the general election.
“Not everyone is feeling the benefits of our investments and progress yet, but our inflation rate is now lower than any other major economy in the world,” Biden said.
Biden, who also participated in fundraisers during his recent Las Vegas campaign, will attend a fundraiser in New York City on March 28 with former President Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, according to a Biden campaign fundraising email sent Tuesday. – He plans to participate with former President Obama.
Meanwhile, the Nevada Republican Party is ignoring the results of Tuesday's primary, a primary held without President Trump. The state Republican Party instead chose to award delegates to the winners of party-sponsored caucuses held Thursday night.
The fragmentation in the process is the result of a 2021 state law that eliminates Nevada's presidential caucuses in favor of government-sponsored primaries. Supporters said the measure would be less complex to implement and reduce voter confusion.
But the Nevada Republican Party, led by Trump supporters, chose to hold caucuses this year anyway and award the state's delegates to the Republican National Convention based on the results. It also warned candidates who participated in the primaries that they were not eligible to participate in the party's caucuses or receive delegates.
Still, some Republican presidential candidates, including Haley, have filed to run in the primary. Trump was the last major candidate remaining in Thursday's caucuses, effectively guaranteeing his victory.
“Your state has both a primary and a caucus. Don't worry about the primary, just do the caucus,” President Trump told attendees at a recent Las Vegas rally.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Donald Judd, Priscilla Alvarez, Ethan Cohen, Kevin Liptak, Samantha Woldenberg and Ebony Davis contributed to this report.
