(BrightPress.org) – GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley had a stunning defeat in the Nevada primary on February 6th. Voters who went to the ballot for the vote seemingly preferred “none of these candidates” to Nikki Haley by a 33-point margin.
Haley remains the only candidate with name recognition still left in the primary contest. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) have all dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump’s bid.
Nevada’s primary system is somewhat unique. The Democrat-controlled legislature approved a bill that mandated everyone receive a mail-in ballot in the mail. Republicans found that unsettling, so they arranged their electoral contest to be based on caucuses which are in-person, and voters will have to present identification to prove they are who they say they are. Candidates could only participate in one contest, so Trump chose the caucuses and Haley chose the primary. Delegates for the convention are only awarded to the winner of the caucuses.
Haley’s campaign decided that was the equivalent of “rigging” the contest and spurned Nevada voters by refusing to spend “a day or a dollar” in the state.
Trump mocked her on Truth Social suggesting that Haley will “soon claim victory!”
The irony of Haley claiming the contest was rigged is heavy. Democrats in the state passed a law mandating universal mail-in ballots, a move conservatives see as a recipe for voter fraud. The GOP sued to prevent the law from going into effect and lost, but the judge left a caveat that caucuses can still occur and the party gets to decide which contest counts for the state’s delegates.
Republicans in the state decided that the caucus would be the only contest that matters. Trump’s Republican challengers alleged that Nevada was “too loyal” to Trump.
Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald said Haley was never “a real serious candidate.” McDonald further criticized Haley’s failure to campaign in the state, suggesting that “none of the above” also didn’t campaign and beat her by 33 points.
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