[UPDATE] 60% of precincts have now reported, and the candidate percentages have been changed to reflect that.
Multiple news organizations are reporting that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is projected to win the Nevada caucus this evening.
According to The Associated Press, with 60% of precincts reporting, Sanders leads with a staggering 46%, former Vice President Joe Biden comes in second with 19.6%, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg comes in third with 15.3%, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) comes in fourth with 10.1%, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) comes in fifth with 4.8%.
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver wrote in the website’s live coverage that the race is now Sanders’ to lose:
The basic takeaway here is that it’s Sanders’s nomination to lose. Exactly how big his margin is, who finishes second, etc., may tell us something about precisely how likely he is to lose it and who is most likely to take it away from him. But it’s his nomination to lose.
This apparent victory, especially if the margins hold, could provide the Sanders campaign with incredible momentum heading into the South Carolina primary on February 29, and then into Super Tuesday on March 3, where 14 states, American Samoa, and Democrats Abroad cast their votes.
Just over two weeks ago, it appeared as though Sanders might take a hit following the unmitigated disaster that was the Iowa caucus in which Pete Buttigieg was able to claim victory and a larger share of delegates than Sanders, despite the agonizingly slow rollout of the vote totals, which now has them tied at 26.2% each. Sanders took the popular vote by just over 2,50o, according to Politico.
However, Sanders went on to win the first primary in New Hampshire with 25.7% compared to second place Buttigieg’s 24.4% and third place Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) 19.8%.
Prior to Saturday’s caucus, Sanders was polling well. The RealClearPolitics polling average had Sanders leading the pack with 32.5% support. A distant second place went to Buttigieg and Biden, who were tied at 16%.
During a rally in San Antonio, Texas, Sanders announced his victory in Nevada, stating:
And now, I’m delighted to bring you some pretty good news I think all of you know. We won the popular vote in Iowa; we won the New Hampshire primary; and according to three networks and the AP, we have now won the Nevada caucus.
Sanders went on to “thank the people of Nevada for their support,” noting that the campaign has “put together a multi-generational, multi-racial coalition” that will propel them forward to victory across the United States.
“We are going to win here in Texas, [and] we are gonna win across the country because the American people are sick and tired of a president who lies all of the time,” Sanders said to the cheering crowd. “They are sick and tired of a corrupt administration; they are sick and tired of a president who is undermining American democracy, who thinks he is above the law, and who apparently has never read the Constitution in this country.”
Sanders continued:
The American people are sick and tired of a government which is based on greed, corruption, and lies. They want an administration which is based on the principles of justice – economic justice, social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice.
Speaking before a crowd of supporters following the news of his second place finish in Nevada, Joe Biden said: “Y’all did it for me. Y’all did it. Now we’re going on to South Carolina, and win, and then we’re gonna take this back!”
Biden was long-considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. After a devastating fourth place finish in Iowa, and an even more crushing fifth place finish in New Hampshire, the former vice president has a great deal of momentum to regain.
Pete Buttigieg, who performed well in the first two primary races, is now in a tougher position.
During his own speech following the announcement of the results, Buttigieg said:
This campaign belongs to everyone, ready not only to end the era of Donald Trump, but to launch the era that must come next. Now, that bright, bright future lies before us, but it is far from certain. It will come only if we get this nomination right, and so we are moving on from the Battle Born State with a battle on our hands. I congratulate my competitors on a vigorous campaign here in Nevada, and I congratulate Senator Sanders on a strong showing today knowing that we celebrate many of the same ideals.
The former mayor then took a shot at Sanders:
But before we rush to nominate Senator Sanders in our one shot to take on this president, let us take a sober look at what is at stake for our party, for our values, and for those with the most to lose. There is so much on the line, and one thing we know for sure is that we absolutely must defeat Donald Trump and everything that he represents in November.
Buttigieg continued, contrasting his policies with Sanders’ policies.
This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates…