On Politics

Wed Feb 7 2024

Sudiksha Kochi | Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter

@KochiSudiksha

Hello OnPolitics readers! Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley faced an embarrassing setback after she didn't win the Nevada GOP presidential primary Tuesday – even though former President Donald Trump was not on the ballot.

Nevada law requires voters to be offered the option to pick "none of these candidates" instead of a specific White House hopeful. While Haley captured almost 32% of the vote, "none of the candidates" claimed nearly 62% with close to two-thirds of the state's votes counted, USA TODAY's Trevor Hughes reported.

Here's what you need to know the Silver State's primary yesterday:

🔴 'A game rigged for Trump': The Haley campaign tried to argue it did not spend resources in Nevada because the whole thing was a setup for Trump. However, the bizarre result in Nevada could slow the momentum Haley needs going into her home state's primary.

🗳️ Trump wasn't on the ballot, but many wish he had been: Many Republican voters on Tuesday remained confused why Trump's name was missing from the primary ballot, despite an extensive public-education campaign by the media and election managers. Washoe County Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess said most voters were understanding once her staff explained Trump himself decided to skip the primary.

❓ What about Biden? President Joe Biden, who faced no serious opposition on the ballot, cleared nearly 90% of the Democratic vote. He easily bested author Marianne Williamson and a number of other challengers who met basic qualification rules. Nearly 6% of Democrats voted for "none of these candidates."