No Republican Challenger in Nevada Caucus – Trump’s Dominance Reaffirmed

A rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. election in November seems certain. As President Biden easily racks up victories in the Democratic primary, the Republican Nevada primary held on the 6th (local time) saw ‘No Endorsed Candidate’ emerge victorious. This occurred because former President Trump did not register as a candidate for the primary, leading an overwhelming number of voters to cast their votes for ‘No Endorsed Candidate’.

AP News reported that both President Biden and former President Trump won in their respective Democratic and Republican presidential primaries held in Nevada. The vote count is still ongoing and final vote percentages have not yet been released.

After securing his victory in the Nevada primary, President Biden issued a statement, saying, “I am grateful to the Nevada voters for sending Kamala Harris and I to the White House four years ago, and for allowing us to take another step in the same path tonight.”

He continued, “We must organize, mobilize, and vote. Someday, when we look back, we will be able to say that we defended our democracy together during a time when it was under threat.” This comment is interpreted as a rebuke to former President Trump.

What’s noteworthy is that despite former President Trump not registering as a candidate for the Republican primary, he effectively won. With 53% of the votes counted in the Nevada Republican primary, ‘No Endorsed Candidate’ is leading with 61.2% of the vote. Nikki Haley, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and considered a strong contender against Trump, is currently in second place with 32.4% of the vote.

AP News reported, “Considering the absence of former President Trump in this primary, this result is a surprising one for Nikki Haley, the only major candidate in this election.”

Former Ambassador Haley registered only for the Nevada Republican primary, while former President Trump only registered for the Republican ‘caucus’ to be held two days later, on the 8th. This is the result of a dispute between the Nevada government, dominated by the Democrats, and the Nevada Republicans over the introduction of the primary. The Nevada Republicans decided to only recognize the results of the caucus. As a result, former President Trump is expected to sweep all 26 delegates allocated to Nevada.

Despite the ongoing legal risks surrounding former President Trump, his supporters are sticking together. On the same day, a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. rejected the former President’s claim of immunity related to charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. The Trump team plans to appeal, apparently strategizing to delay the revision of the criminal trial until after the election on November 5th.