Washington – On February 4, Nevada became the first Western state to weigh in on the Republican race for the nomination for the U.S. presidency.
In a “closed” process in which only registered Republicans were allowed to participate, caucus-goers determined how the state’s 28 delegates (of a total 2,286 to be awarded nationally) would be allocated among the four candidates who remain in the Republican race.
When all 125 caucus sites had reported, Mitt Romney had garnered 50.1 percent of the vote, Newt Gingrich 21.1 percent, Ron Paul 18.8 percent and Rick Santorum 10 percent.
Geographically, Nevada is the seventh-largest U.S. state but only the nation’s 35th most populous. At 2.7 million, its population is approximately the same size as that of New Hampshire and 14 percent of Florida’s, according to the 2010 U.S. census.
Among the states that have held Republican nominating contests, Nevada has the most Mormons — approximately one-seventh of its population. Among the state’s registered Republican voters the figure is higher, with about 25 percent identifying themselves as Mormon. Mitt Romney is the only candidate left in the race who is Mormon.
Nevada's population is roughly 66 percent white, 26.5 percent Hispanic, 8 percent black and 7 percent Asian. Most of the Hispanics in Nevada are of Mexican origin, which makes immigration policy an especially important issue in this state. But the concern that looms largest for most Nevada voters is the economy.
This “Battle Born” state, so named because it achieved statehood during the U.S. Civil War of the mid-19th century, is currently locked in a grim war with joblessness and the U.S. housing crisis.
Nevada’s economy relies heavily on tourism with Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountain range offering attractions that appeal to a wide range of vacationers. Unfortunately, vacations depend on reliable incomes and economic confidence, both in short supply among Americans in recent years.
In December 2011, unemployment in Nevada stood at 12.6 percent, the highest in the nation, but down from the 13.4 percent in October 2011.
Equally discouraging is Nevada’s first-place ranking in foreclosures. The housing market in Nevada crashed in the recent recession and federal housing agencies estimate that approximately 58 percent of Nevada’s mortgaged homes are “under water,” a term used when the resident owes more on a home loan than the home is worth.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR REPUBLICANS?
Despite another solid win for the Romney campaign, the Republican nomination is far from decided, and very few delegates have been pledged. The four remaining candidates have stated they have no intention of dropping out of the race.
The next Republican contest, Maine, has already begun. The first of that state’s caucuses was held February 4, and caucusing will continue throughout the week, ending on February 11.
Minnesota and Colorado hold their caucuses on February 7. Missouri Republicans also will go to the polls on February 7, but that vote is a nonbinding “beauty contest.” Party officials will be guided, but not bound, by the results of this vote.
The tone of the Republican race seems to be increasingly acrimonious, with voters bombarded by negative advertisements funded by campaigns and by political action committees. Even though poll after poll find American voters dislike these attack ads, actual voting behavior suggests such ads are effective.
What are Republicans seeking in their nominee? A key quality might be the absence of negative factors that would render a candidate unelectable in the general election.
In the February 5 CNN program State of the Union, Tony Perkins, a former Louisiana legislator and current president of the conservative policy center Family Research Council, stated it this way: “We’re not looking for a candidate who can walk on water. We’re looking for a candidate who doesn’t sink under the weight of their own baggage ….”
