In a surprising turn of events, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has been defeated in Nevada’s nonbinding Republican primary by the option “none of these candidates”. This unexpected loss comes in a race where former President Donald Trump was not featured on the ballot, suggesting a strong preference for Trump among GOP voters in the state.
“We didn’t participate in a game rigged for Trump. Our campaign is moving full steam ahead in South Carolina and beyond,” said Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokesperson for Haley’s campaign, in a statement to CNN.
Despite the setback, Haley is expected to secure the second-highest number of votes in the primary. The primary’s significance is diminished as the state Republicans have chosen to allocate their delegates through party-run caucuses, which Trump is anticipated to win.
On the Democratic front, President Joe Biden has emerged victorious in Nevada’s presidential primary, gaining momentum towards his party’s 2024 nomination. This victory follows his first official win of the 2024 race in the South Carolina primary.
“Tonight, Nevada Democrats have shown that we still believe in an America where everyone is treated with honesty, decency, dignity, and respect. I am deeply grateful for their support,” Biden said in a statement on Tuesday night.
Despite facing nominal opposition from a dozen candidates, Biden’s victory was decisive. His most notable Democratic challenger, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, was not on the ballot due to late entry into the race.
Meanwhile, Nevada Republicans have chosen to disregard the outcome of Tuesday’s primary. Instead, they have decided to award their delegates based on the results of the party-run caucuses scheduled for Thursday evening. This decision is a result of a 2021 state law that replaced Nevada’s presidential caucuses with government-run primaries.
Despite the warning from the Nevada Republican Party, some Republican presidential contenders, including Haley, chose to participate in the primary. With Trump being the last major contender in Thursday’s caucuses, his victory is all but guaranteed.
This story has been updated with additional information. Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Donald Judd, Priscilla Alvarez, Ethan Cohen, Kevin Liptak, Samantha Waldenberg, and Ebony Davis.