(PatriotNewsDaily.com) – Donald Trump emerged as an influential figure in Nevada’s Republican presidential scene despite not being listed on the state-run primary ballot. In an upcoming event, Trump is the sole significant candidate named in the Nevada GOP’s caucuses, anticipated to secure a decisive win.
The exclusion of Trump from the primary ballot didn’t pave the way for Nikki Haley, his principal competitor for the 2024 Republican nomination, to clinch a victory. Haley, who served as the Governor of South Carolina and later as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. under Trump, was defeated by the “none of these candidates” option by a significant margin in a primary that did not influence the allocation of GOP convention delegates.
Trump’s supporters, interviewed outside polling places, mentioned they voted for “none of these candidates” as a proxy for their support for him, given his absence from the ballot.
Although Trump was not a choice in the primary, he will be the primary candidate in the caucuses set for Thursday, where 26 delegates are at stake. This dual contest system stems from a 2021 decision by Nevada Democrats, who controlled the state legislature and governor’s office, to switch from caucuses to a state-run primary. The Nevada GOP’s legal challenge to this change was unsuccessful, but they were permitted to hold their caucuses, which will determine the delegate distribution.
The state GOP decided that candidates listed on the primary ballot would be ineligible for the caucuses, a move seen by Haley and other candidates as favoring Trump due to perceived loyalty within the Nevada GOP leadership.
Haley criticized the process as rigged, attributing the caucus setup to manipulations by Trump and the indicted state GOP chairman, a claim the chairman dismissed by questioning Haley’s seriousness as a candidate.
Nevada Republicans have the unique opportunity to participate in both the caucus and primary, with Trump’s campaign emphasizing the importance of the caucus vote.
Despite her name appearing on the primary ballot, Haley did not campaign in Nevada, focusing her efforts on upcoming contests in South Carolina, Michigan, and the Super Tuesday states.
As the primary results came in, Trump mocked Haley’s performance on social media, while Haley remained focused on her campaign’s future strategy, including fundraising efforts which recently saw a significant boost in California.
Trump plans to return to Las Vegas for a caucus celebration, as Nevada, a crucial battleground state, gears up for more political activity leading up to the general election.
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