LAS VEGAS (AP) – Bernie Sanders scored a commanding victory in Nevada’s presidential caucuses, cementing his status as the Democrats’ national front-runner but escalating tensions over whether he’s too liberal to defeat President Donald Trump.
Joe Biden was a distant second, followed by Pete Buttigieg in third and Elizabeth Warren in fourth, with Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer in a close race for fifth. They all are pledging to stay in the race as the primary moves on to South Carolina this coming Saturday, with the Super Tuesday states voting on March 3.
Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday were the first chance for White House hopefuls to demonstrate appeal to a diverse group of voters in a state far more representative of the country as a whole than Iowa and New Hampshire. Sanders, a 78-year Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist, won by rallying his fiercely loyal base and tapping into support from Nevada’s large Latino community.
In a show of confidence, Sanders left Nevada on Saturday for Texas, which offers one of the biggest delegate troves in just 10 days on Super Tuesday.
“We are bringing our people together,” he declared. “In Nevada we have just brought together a multigenerational, multiracial coalition which is not only going to win in Nevada, it’s going to sweep this country.”