Former President Donald Trump emerged triumphant in the Nevada Republican caucus by a substantial margin.
The ballot included the name of Ryan Binkley, a pastor and businessman, as the only other option.
The result indicates that Mr. Trump will accumulate all 26 delegates from Nevada, utilizing the system employed by the parties to determine their presidential candidate. Preliminary results reported by CNN suggest that the former president received an extraordinary 99% of the vote.
Briefly addressing a victory party in Las Vegas, Donald Trump said: “If we win this state, we easily win the election in November.”
Donald Trump has now won contests in three states – Nevada, Iowa and New Hampshire – making him the presumptive Republican candidate in November’s general election.
Additionally, he won a Republican caucus in the US Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory. Donald Trump’s major opponent still in contention, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, chose not to engage in the Nevada caucus and redirected her efforts toward the state’s primary vote.
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A disagreement between the state Republican Party and the Democratic-controlled state legislature led to the holding of two separate ballots in Nevada. During Tuesday’s primary, Nikki Haley faced defeat, losing to the “none of these candidates” option.
The outcome held symbolic significance since the state’s Republican party had determined that only the caucus results would be considered in the selection of the presidential candidate.
Nikki Haley’s team said they did not take part in the caucus, claiming it had been “rigged for Trump”.
The circumstances in Nevada stirred confusion and frustration, receiving disapproval from the state’s Republican governor, who contended that there should have been a single ballot for voters.
While the result of the Nevada caucus was foreseen, the state is anticipated to be a battleground in the November presidential election. The vote is effectively set to be a rematch between the 2020 candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
South Carolina awaits Mr. Trump’s next campaign move, where he will once again confront Nikki Haley. Undeterred by three defeats, she remains committed, arguing that Republican supporters desire an alternative to Donald Trump and asserting that “voters want an election, not a coronation.”