NEWS UPDATE: Hillary Clinton and Romney won the elections from Nevada.

Democratic and Republican caucuses seen as a crapshoot

  • Why were caucuses moved up? Four reasons: the growing West, a large Hispanic population, a heavily unionized work force and the influence of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada
  • Republicans followed the Democrats’ lead and will hold their caucuses on the same day to coincide with their regularly scheduled precinct meetings. Reasons for doing so: Nevada is a key Western state that voted for Bush in 2004, and the earlier caucuses help increase voter participation
  • Traditional working-class Democrats hold sway over liberal activists, which could help candidates prepared to talk about practical issues and policy details
  • Barack Obama received a big boost from the state’s Latino population when the culinary workers endorsed him
  • Hillary Clinton got an endorsement from labor activist Richard Chavez, brother of legendary union organizer Cesar Chavez
  • The state’s Republican delegates are up for grabs, but most Republican candidates will be focusing their attention on that day’s South Carolina primary

Nevada latest polls: Hillary Clinton – 41%, Barack Obama – 32%