Feb. 23, 2016 Nevada Republican Precinct Caucuses:
Results and Reactions

Carson America

Dr. Ben Carson’s Statement on Nevada Caucuses

Las Vegas, Nevada - February 24, 2016 - Contrary to the popular slogan, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," Dr. Carson encouraged a ballroom full of supporters that the results of the Nevada caucuses could lead the rest of the nation to reverse course for a brighter future.

“We are getting to the point where ‘We the People’ want to hear real solutions,” said Dr. Carson, retired neurosurgeon and presidential candidate. “I believe that people are starting to wake up and look for answers, rather than have a Colosseum mindset.”

With only four states having cast votes for the Republican presidential nomination, Dr. Carson stands among the top four candidates in the Nevada outcome of the original 17.  He is deeply humbled and encouraged by the support he continues to receive across the country, as his consistent message of faith, integrity and common sense solutions resonates across all demographics. He continues to be viewed more favorably than any other candidate and consistently polls as the most honest and sincere person in the race.  With less than 200 delegates decided, Dr. Carson is encouraged by the upward momentum he has experienced over the past two months and looks forward to Super Tuesday.

“I want to thank my many supporters and volunteers in Nevada and across the country,” Dr. Carson added. “While professional politicians have long written off our efforts to return the government to the people, we remain undaunted. We’ve barely finished the first inning, and there’s a lot of game left. I look forward to the debate in Houston this Thursday and then on to Super Tuesday, sharing my message to 'Heal, Inspire, and Revive' this great nation. As more Americans have their say, they will see the true strength of our movement.”


Contact: 
Larry Ross
Communications Director
Cruz for President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Catherine Frazier
News Release  
February 23, 2016  

Cruz Campaign Thanks NV GOP for Reaffirming Fair Caucus Protocol

Response to Trump Campaign’s outrageous accusations

HOUSTON, Texas – In response to the outrageous claims made by Donald J. Trump for President’s counsel regarding Nevada caucuses, the Cruz for President counsel sent a letter to the Nevada Republican Party Chairman echoing the statements of the Nevada Secretary of State and the Nevada GOP refuting Trump’s accusations.

See the full letter here and excerpts below.  

“We note the affirmations of both the Nevada Republican Party and the Nevada Secretary of State late today of our position and understanding of the law,” said Cruz Counsel Chris Gober.  “The Nevada Republican Party, for example, affirmed that ‘members of the general public may observe the caucusing process and encourages any individual who observes any suspicious conduct to immediately notify precinct and/or party leaders,’ but that ‘no member of the general public shall be permitted to photograph, film or otherwise record the caucusing process…’ Indeed, this was precisely the spirit of our note to supporters, and we will instruct them accordingly.”

The letter continues, “As to the misleading allegations leveled by Mr. Trump’s counsel, the Cruz campaign was simply urging its supporters to do nothing more than observe, report, and document, if possible, questionable behavior at caucus sites. Rather than welcoming such vigilance, especially in light of the history of the Nevada caucuses, Mr. Trump has instead chosen to tout an Obama Administration dictate issued on the eve of the 2012 election. No doubt, the authors of this order are the same group of leftist lawyers in Obama’s Justice Department who dismissed intimidation charges against the pro‐Obama New Black Panther Party members accused of threatening voters and the same lawyers who have been fighting common‐sense voter identification rules. Counsel’s reliance on the Obama Administration’s so‐called voter protection mandates to level an underhanded political attack is a telling indication of how low Mr. Trump is willing to sink to make baseless allegations in exchange for headlines.”

See the Nevada Secretary of State and Nevada GOP statements below: 

NV Secretary of State: “NRS 293.274 prohibits photographing, filming or otherwise recording of any kind by the general public at polling places, however this statute does not apply to caucus sites.  The political parties have established their own rules and procedures regarding the caucuses and if there are any questions they should be directed to the administering political party.” 

NV GOP: “However, once the caucusing process has been completed and ballots have been cast, we would encourage anyone to who sees any suspicious activity to document and immediately report such activity to the precinct and/or party leaders.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Catherine Frazier
News Release  
February 23, 2016  

Nevada, Rubio’s Firewall: The Place Where He Would Win Big

HOUSTON, Texas -- Marco Rubio started working early and put a significant amount of resources into making Nevada the one early state he could win.  But despite the hype, Rubio still failed to beat Donald Trump.

National Review: “Marco Rubio is going all in to win Nevada.”
“Marco Rubio is going all in to win Nevada. Though the Florida senator has eschewed the idea that he needs to hunker down in any particular state, his campaign has quietly and steadily poured resources into the Silver State…

“Rubio’s path to the first three states is small,” says one Republican state official. “It’s obvious that his campaign sees Nevada as his firewall.”

Morning Joe:  “This is his firewall”
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Mark Halperin, [Rubio] grew up here, he invested a lot of money here, the National Review said in this article, forget about the first three states, this is his firewall. They were saying that about a month or so ago when Rubio was facing a lot of criticism about not investing, they said this is the state that he was putting all of his chips on. So, it looks like he should be in a really good position to win

Lifezette: “The place where Sen. Marco Rubio would win big”
“Once heralded as the place where Sen. Marco Rubio would win big and save his campaign, Nevada could well be another major disappointment for the Establishment’s favored candidate.

“Nevada had been billed as Rubio’s “firewall.” But Donald Trump has consistently polled between 30 and 45 percent in Nevada and should easily take Tuesday’s caucuses. If Rubio can’t even “win” second place, the Establishment’s last hope could find himself TKO’d from the race for the GOP nomination.”

CNN: “Win Nevada after going 0-3 to open the race”
“Marco Rubio campaigned in Las Vegas the other day and promised folks in Nevada they would be seeing lot of him. Smart campaigns have a Plan A and a Plan B, and it's increasingly clear Nevada is a critical piece of both for the Florida senator.

“Plan A: Get at least one win in the first three states (Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina) and then win Nevada as the exclamation point before heading home to the giant Florida GOP primary.

“Plan B: Win Nevada after going 0-3 to open the race so that Rubio survives to compete in his home state primary.”

Bloomberg: Rubio “cannot continue to declare victory when he's coming in second or third.”
"Rubio needs to win somewhere," Michael Bowers, a professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.  "He cannot continue to declare victory when he's coming in second or third. Nevada could be a good state for him to start doing that." 

The Hill: “Rubio is rolling out a series of endorsements in Nevada as he hopes for a boost”
“Marco Rubio is rolling out a series of endorsements in Nevada as he hopes for a boost heading into the state's Republican presidential caucus on Tuesday. Within the past 24 hours, the Florida senator's campaign has announced the backing of Rep. Cresent Hardy, Rep. Mark Amodei and Sen. Dean Heller for his White House bid.

“With others announced Monday, Rubio holds a clear lead for congressional endorsements over his rivals after the exit of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush from the GOP race on Saturday.”

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Kasich for America

February 24, 2016
 

To: Interested Parties

 

From: John Weaver

 

RE: Marco’s Miss: Throwing Good Money After Bad

Contrary to what his campaign is trying to portray, Senator Rubio just endured another disappointing performance despite being the highest spending candidate in Nevada.  He also missed an opportunity to back up the notion that he can bring new people into the Republican Party or succeed above expectations in a diverse state.

 

Republicans are now left to wonder whether investing in Marco Rubio is throwing good money after bad.

 

Of the four viable candidates left in the race, Senator Rubio spent the most in New Hampshire, spent the most in South Carolina and spent the most in Nevada.

 

The return has been dismal.

 

Rubio finished last out of the Final Four in New Hampshire (the lone state where all candidates competed), flushed away more than $12 million to pick up zero delegates in South Carolina, and appears likely to pick up no more than 7 more delegates than Governor Kasich in Nevada despite the fact that the Kasich campaign spent virtually no resources in the state and the Rubio campaign spent the most.

 

This primary has already proven that spending the most amount of money will not make you the nominee. Knowing the primary map will shift dramatically away from his campaign after March 5, Senator Rubio is spending money furiously now in a vain attempt to claim “momentum.” It isn’t going to work. Ultimately, all the Rubio strategy will produce is another case of donor’s remorse in a few weeks.

 

Patience is a virtue rarely found in politics, but it is one of the hallmarks of the Kasich campaign, and it will ultimately result in helping make Governor Kasich the Republican nominee. We continue to increase our financial and political support as more and more Republican leaders recognize the wisdom of our strategy and believe that Governor Kasich has the right combination of experience, authenticity and general election appeal to become President.

 

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Democratic National Committee

DNC Chair Statement on Donald Trump’s Nevada Win Tonight

WASHINGTON – Upon Donald Trump’s win of the Nevada GOP caucuses tonight, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement:
 
“Donald Trump’s victory tonight means he has won the vast majority of the Republican primary delegates to this point, and is well on his way to winning his party’s nomination. After years of pandering to extremists, the Republican Party is now stuck with what it created: a field of extreme candidates with views far out of the mainstream and out of touch with the American people.
 
“At least with Trump, he’s not shy about exposing what the Republican brand has truly become. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are every bit as extreme as their party’s frontrunner, they just hide it better. Well the voters are seeing right through it, which is why Marco Rubio got exactly zero delegates out of South Carolina in his virtual tie with Ted Cruz and was dealt a fourth consecutive loss by the voters of Nevada tonight.
 
"The losers tonight will no doubt try once again to spin their failure as a victory. It’s not.”
 
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American Bridge 21st Century

Party of Trump Hands The Donald Another Victory In Nevada

With a strong second place finish in Iowa followed by crushing first place victories in New HampshireSouth Carolina, and now Nevada, it’s getting harder and harder for the GOP establishment to deny that their party is the Party of Trump.

The GOP may just be starting to acknowledge the “Trump nightmare,” but while the party was spinning in circles downplaying The Donald’s strength, Trump won another primary and the rest of the field continued their shameful race to the right to mirror his extreme positions and hateful rhetoric. 

What’s even more troubling for the GOP tonight? Trump reportedly had “no real ground game” in Nevada and still cruised to victory without paying much attention to the state. GOP voters showed yet again that they are all-in for Trump and a party that stands for xenophobic fearmongeringamateurish foreign policyopposition to a pathway to citizenshiptax plans that throw hardworking families under the bus and attacks on women’s health.

After a Trump sweep of the early states, it’s time to grab the popcorn and tune in for the GOPanic that’s sure to follow as the establishment tries to deny that their party has become the Party of Trump.

Correct the Record (pro-Clinton)
Wednesday, February 24, 2016      
 
CONTACT: Correct The Record
Lizzy Price / Daniel Wessel
       

CTR STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S VICTORY IN NEVADA

Washington, DC – Correct The Record President Brad Woodhouse released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s victory in Nevada.
 
“What happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas, but by winning Nevada, Donald Trump has reminded the Republican Party that he’s here for the long haul,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Correct The Record. “With his third consecutive victory, Trump and the bigotry he espouses is now the embraced Republican platform. With backward views like rounding up and pushing out undocumented immigrants, denigrating women who demand equality, and turning their backs on American Muslims, the Party of Trump defies the very values that Americans hold dear. Just yesterday, in fact, Ted Cruz flipped his views on immigration to appear even more Trump-like. As we hurtle closer to Super Tuesday, it's clear that Trump's results—and his influence on the Party—won't just stay in Vegas.”

Correct The Record is a strategic research and rapid response team designed to defend Hillary Clinton from baseless attacks.