LAS VEGAS (AP) – Nevada holds a crucial position on the 2024 election calendar, yet it has received less attention compared to Iowa and New Hampshire. However, this weekend is bound to change that.
A significant number of Republican presidential candidates are gathering in Las Vegas for the annual meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition. This year, the event holds greater significance due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The front-runner, Donald Trump, will not only address the coalition but also make an appearance at a campaign organizing event in the evening. His team aims to secure commitments from voters who may participate in the Feb. 8 caucuses.
In collaboration with allies of the former president, Nevada will conduct a primary election on Feb. 6, as per state law. The caucuses, which determine the allocation of delegates, will take place two days later and will be managed by the state party. This setup has drawn criticism from within the Nevada GOP, concerning potential confusion among voters and speculation that the party is favoring Trump.
Although every resident will receive a state-run ballot before the primary, the decision on Nevada’s delegates for the nomination will be determined through the party-run caucuses. Therefore, it becomes crucial for the party apparatus and the candidates’ campaigns to educate voters about the caucuses.
“I hate it for our voters because, of course, they’re going to be confused,” expressed Will Bradley, a member of the Nevada Republican Party Central Committee. “But I respect that I’m in the minority, and I got outvoted. So I’ll do what I can to help the caucus succeed.”
Like in Iowa, Trump is actively engaging with potential Nevada caucusgoers in various events. Meanwhile, Trump’s Nevada state director, Alida Benson, joined his campaign in July after serving as the state party’s executive director. Additionally, the party chairman, Michael McDonald, was involved as a false elector for Trump in 2020. McDonald advocates for caucuses as they provide opportunities for grassroots support and on-the-ground campaigning.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott opted for the primary election instead. On the other hand, Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will be competing in the caucuses.
However, there have been some disagreements regarding caucus organizing. The responsibility now lies with the 17 county Republican parties. The vice-chair of the Clark County GOP, who was supposed to organize the caucus sites in Las Vegas, resigned last month. Members of the Central Committee have expressed concerns about the lack of communication from the Clark County GOP regarding the caucuses.
In more rural areas, such as the mining county of Elko, the GOP chairman, Lee Hoffman, faces the challenge of setting up caucus sites that are over 100 miles away from the county’s main hub. Elko County, with a population of 54,000 spread over an area larger than Massachusetts and Connecticut combined, saw the use of mail-only ballots in the general election, especially in remote areas. Consequently, educating Republican voters about the caucuses, happening just two days after the primary, poses a considerable challenge for Hoffman.
“All I can say is, we have a lot of work to do between now and the time the caucus comes to educate our Republican voters on the process, getting it organized in terms of locations and so on,” Hoffman acknowledged. “That’s going to take some effort.”
___
Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a program that places journalists in local newsrooms.
___
Follow Stern on X, formerly Twitter: @gabestern326
