Biden wins Nevada’s presidential primary : NPR

President Biden won the Nevada Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press election ad.

As a sitting president, Biden was widely expected to win the primary. Author Marianne Williamson was also on the ballot.

In 2020, Biden won Nevada in the general election by just under 3 percent, making it a closely watched swing state. He lost in the primary to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Although the Nevada primary was uncompetitive, Democrats plan to use the results to evaluate how to focus their efforts to court voters.

“In general, Las Vegas has been very transitory. And many times we have to make those connections for the first time,” said Fabián Doñate, president of the Latino legislative group. “Our population is very diverse compared to the rest of the country, and that is why we are the first in the West.”

Thirty percent of Nevada’s population identifies as Latino. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing demographic group in the state and also have strong union support and rural voters.

Nevada is one of six swing states that will receive enormous attention in the general election and is the first swing state to vote early, making it a testing ground for candidates even if the races aren’t as competitive in the paper.

Biden spoke with union workers on Monday

Before primary day, Biden came to Las Vegas to meet with union workers before visiting a tea shop in the city’s Chinatown. Biden met with Culinary Union workers in an employee cafeteria at the Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas. Workers have just finalized contract negotiations with MGM Resorts management.

“I came to thank you. Not only to thank you for the support you gave me last time, but also to thank you for having faith in the union,” Biden said.

The culinary and bartending unions represent 60,000 workers statewide and have emerged as a political force there, making them an important voting bloc. Biden, who has often called himself the most “pro-labor” president, previously received support from the Culinary Union.

After Tuesday’s election call, Biden again thanked these voters.

“Nevada Democrats represent the backbone of our nation: the union workers who built the middle class, the immigrants who came here seeking opportunity, and families of all kinds who deserve dignity, personal freedom and a fair chance to achieve the dream American”. he said in a statement. “Tonight they showed us all: we still believe in an America where we treat everyone with honesty, decency, dignity and respect.”

Despite skipping the non-sanctioned New Hampshire primary, Biden won that race after voters wrote in on his behalf, although the results will not count toward his official nomination at the party convention in August. Over the weekend, Biden also won the South Carolina primary in what was the first official nominating event for Democrats. – a change in schedule compared to past elections. The Democratic Party hoped that South Carolina being the first choice would indicate the importance of black voters to its success.

How did Nevadans vote?

It is a different process than in the past due to the changes made in 2021.

That’s when the state implemented several new election laws that implemented voting by mail, expanded voter registration and moved presidential races from caucuses to state primaries.

On Tuesday, both Republicans and Democrats voted in the primary, as is state law.

But Republicans will have another chance to vote later this week, because the Nevada Republican Partywho wanted to caucus, like they did before, delayed against the laws of 2021. To “protest” against the state primaries, the party will organize its own group on Thursday. Under the rules, candidates who participate in the caucus cannot have their name on the primary ballot.

As a result, former President Donald Trump will only be an option in Thursday’s caucus and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley will only be an option for primary voters. Still, no law prohibits registered Republican voters from participating in both races.

And there’s an added catch: Only the caucus awards delegates, making Trump the de facto winner (as the only viable candidate) before votes are even cast.

The two Republican races ended up confusing some voters today.

“I came for Trump, period. He wasn’t there. I’m here today in the rain and I’m disappointed,” Pat Rapaccuiolo told NPR at a voting center in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Las Vegas.

Rapaccuiolo said he ended up voting for “neither of these candidates,” which is an option for primary voters in Nevada, because he said he expected to see Trump on the ballot. He said he will vote in caucus on Thursday.

This “none of these candidates” option ended up receiving the highest percentage of votes in Tuesday’s Republican primary, beating Haley, according to an Associated Press election ad.

Nevada is already in general election mode.

Trump held a rally in east Las Vegas last week and had a clear message for primary voters.

“Have the caucus, not the primaries. The primaries are meaningless,” Trump warned.

Trump focused on important issues such as immigration and the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

Vice President Kamala Harris held her own rally about five minutes away that same night and paid tribute to the late Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat and former Senate majority leader.

“As the late great Harry Reid always reminded us, if you can win in Nevada, you can win anywhere,” Harris cheered. “So Harry, President Biden and I are going to prove him right once again.”

He focused on some of the administration’s policy successes, such as limits on prescription drugs for seniors and canceling some student debt.

Las Vegas residents also heard from Biden on Monday. She visited with members of the Culinary Union and visited a boba tea shop in Chinatown.

Trump will return to the state on Thursday for a caucus results viewing party.