'None of These Candidates' Beats Haley in Nevada Primary Without Trump

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley lost the Nevada Republican primary election to the “none of these candidates” option on the ballot.

A Primary and a Caucus: Nevada is holding both a primary and a caucus, allowing candidates to select which to participate in. Haley chose the primary, while Trump chose the caucus. There are no delegates up for grabs in the Republican primary, only in the caucus. The Nevada Republican caucus will take place on Thursday, Feb. 8.

None of These Candidates: Nevada election law allows voters to select “none of these candidates” on their ballots. This option won, pulling in 61.2% of the vote as of 11:15 P.M. CST Tuesday night. Haley, the only major name on the ballot, placed second with 32.4%. Haley previously expressed disinterest in the Nevada primary, arguing the state’s process was unfair. Haley’s campaign manager Betsy Ankney told reporters this week, “We have not spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada.”

Democratic Primary: President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary, winning 90% of the vote as of 11:15 P.M. CST Tuesday night.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum reported on the results but undercut the significance of the primary and highlighted confusion regarding the state’s voting process. CBS News (Left bias) outlined the distinction between the state’s primary and caucus, deeming the primary “effectively useless for Republicans.” Despite this, outlets across the spectrum deemed the result an embarrassment for Haley.