Fox News first projected that U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont will win the Nevada Caucus. They were the only media outlet I’ve saw call the Nevada Caucus for Sanders so early, but the last two polls conducted right before the Nevada Caucus on Saturday showed the 78-year-old Democratic Socialist with a double digit lead.
So it is not a surprise.
The vote count that most media outlets, like the Associated Press, show are county convention delegates each candidate won. Those delegates will determine how many national convention delegates each candidate will receive.
With only 96 percent reporting in:
- Bernie Sanders – 46.8 percent (6,589) – 24 delegates
- Joe Biden – 20.4 percent (2,872) – 9 delegates
- Pete Buttigieg – 13.9 percent (1,960) – 3 delegate
- Elizabeth Warren – 9.8 percent (1,381)
- Tom Steyer – 4.5 percent (652)
- Amy Klobuchar – 4.2 percent (595)
The rules for candidate viability is similar to the Iowa Caucus. Only viable candidates can receive county convention delegates that each precinct provides.
- For precincts allotted two delegates, the threshold is 25 percent of those who caucuses plus the early vote (unlike Iowa, Nevada offers early voting for their caucus).
- For precincts allowed three delegates, the threshold for viability is one-sixth of caucus attendees and early votes.
- For precincts allotted four delegates, the threshold for viability is 15 percent.
Like the Iowa Caucus, those who voted for a viable candidate are locked in, while supporters of a non-viable candidate will align with a viable candidate.
Right now, based on the current results, Buttigieg and Klobuchar appear to be the biggest losers as any moment they had after New Hampshire did not translate in a turnout for either candidate in Nevada.
This will be updated as results come in.