History
Prior to 2008, Nevada usually held primary elections, not caucuses, in order to choose delegates for the Democratic and Republican national convention. In both cases, these delegates then choose party nominees for the general presidential election. Many parties have held state level caucuses since the 1960s; however, 2008 is the first time both the Democratic and Republican parties held caucuses throughout the local (precinct), county, and state levels.
While many states hold primary elections, relatively few states hold statewide, multilevel caucuses. Party leaders and state officials believed that switching from a primary election to a caucus would streamline Nevada’s move to becoming an early contender in the nomination process. As a result of switching from a late presidential primary to an early caucus, Nevada has gained electoral prominence.
Historically, New Hampshire’s primary and Iowa’s caucus have shared the electoral limelight, marking the beginning of the presidential campaign season. Due to America’s increasing ethnic diversity, urbanization, and geographic redistribution, influential political leaders came to the realization the New Hampshire and Iowa were no representative of the United States. Following the 2004 election, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid began making a case for Nevada as the perfect American microcosm. Nevada’s Western location, significant minority population, and the state’s strong labor population demonstrating America’s shifting population contributed to this illustration.
Since 2008 the Nevada caucuses have been scheduled early in the nomination process (i.e., prior to Super Tuesday). By being one of the earlier states, most importantly the first in the West, to hold elections of any sort, the state of Nevada has been placed in the national spotlight. Nevada has become the first state to vote in the West, the first primarily labor-based state to vote, and the first Hispanic state to vote. Nevadans have gained electoral prominence as a direct result of switching from a late presidential primary to an early caucus.
Read more about this topic: Nevada Caucuses
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