|
By Eric A. Gordon
LAS VEGAS–After slim popular vote victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders achieved frontrunner status in the drive for the Democratic nomination for president by scoring an impressive win in the Feb. 22 caucuses here.
Following the final reallocation of votes, Sanders was eventually awarded 24 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, with 41,075 votes. Former Vice President Joe Biden came in a distant second with 19,179 votes, earning nine delegates. For Biden, whose earlier tallies in Iowa and New Hampshire were dispiriting at best, it was a relief to come in second. Buttigieg came in third with 17,598, just crossing the 15% threshold to secure 3 delegates. Struggling to make the best of Buttigieg’s showing, his campaign manager claimed a “razor-thin margin for second place in Nevada.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who came out punching in the pre-caucus debate against big-spending former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, straggled into fourth place with 11,703 votes, but securing no delegates.
As the most ethnically diverse state so far to hold a primary, and one more similar in makeup to the rest of the country, Nevada holds lessons for the larger races to come, especially on March 3, Super Tuesday. Latinos comprise 30% of the Silver State’s population, and Sanders won 53% of the Latino vote. He also led among youth, union members and also nonunion members, and independents.
Biden, whose continued candidacy would seem to depend on a strong showing among South Carolina’s African-American voters in that state’s Feb. 29 primary, won a slim majority of the Black vote in Nevada, as well as a majority of voters over 65, and voters who oppose Medicare for All....
READ MORE »
|
