Nevada residents headed to meeting sites across the state on Thursday, 8 February, for the state’s Republican-held caucuses. Donald Trump is the only major candidate running in the caucuses, and is expected a victory by the end of the night over Ryan Binkley – a little-known pastor and businessman from Texas – which would give the former president a third straight win in the Republican presidential race, setting the course for him to be the GOP’s nominee.
Trump’s last major contender, Nikki Haley, suffered an embarrassing defeat in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary contest, when she was beaten by the “none of these candidates” option, even with Trump’s absence from the ballot.
Trump, meanwhile, is expected to pick up all of Nevada’s 26 Republican delegates in Thursday’s contest. He needs to accrue 1,215 delegates to formally clinch the party’s nomination but could reach that number in March.
Here are the results of the primary election held on Tuesday 6 February:
Republicans running
Donald Trump
The former US president’s campaign to retake the White House and once again grab his party’s nomination got off to a slow start that was widely mocked. But after decisive wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, his campaign has steadily moved into a position of dominance.
Trump declined to attend any of the Republican debates, has used his court appearances and many legal woes as a rallying cry to mobilize his base, and has run a surprisingly well-organized campaign. His extremist rhetoric, especially around his plans for a second term and the targeting of his political enemies, has sparked widespread fears over the threat to American democracy that his candidacy represents.
His political style during the campaign has not shifted from his previous runs in 2016 and 2020 and, if anything, has become more extreme. Many see this as a result of his political and legal fates becoming entwined, with a return to the Oval Office being seen as Trump’s best chance of nixing his legal problems.
Nikki Haley
The former South Carolina governor and ex-US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump has mostly hewed a fine line between being an alternative to Trump, while not outraging his base with too much direct criticism.
That paid off to some extent as Haley shone in debates and rose past her competitors for the number two slot in the Republican race. But after losing by sizable margins in Iowa and New Hampshire, Haley’s chances have dwindled.
Democrats running
Joe Biden
Biden is the likely Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election. He announced his campaign for re-election on 25 April 2023, exactly four years after he announced his previous, successful presidential campaign. While approval for the president remains low, hovering just above 40%, political experts say he is the most likely candidate to defeat Trump. Biden has served in politics for over five decades and is running on a platform that includes abortion rights, gun reform and healthcare. At 81, he is the oldest president in US history.
Marianne Williamson
Failed 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who also unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives in 2014, became the first Democratic candidate to announce she was running for president as a challenge to Biden. Williamson, an author of self-help books, launched her long-shot bid with campaign promises to address climate change and student loan debt. She previously worked as “spiritual leader” of a Michigan Unity church.
