Who Won NV?

The Nevada Primary is over and the press is proclaiming the results to the world at large. According to the media Clinton and Romney won their respective races. But is this actually the case? As with the previous NH primary, that depends on how you look at the primaries and caucuses.

The Democratic results from NV were: Clinton 5,355 (50.7%); Obama 4,773 (45.2%); Edwards 396 (03.8%). This shows that Sen. Clinton edged out Sen. Obama by at 5.5% margin, but did win the popular vote in the NV Primary. This is what the media is reporting about – though, unlike the earlier NH Primary, they’re also reporting on delegate counts as well this time.

Let us though once again look at the practical matter of the allotment of delegates, since it’s these delegates who will actually nominate the Democratic Party’s Presidential Candidate. It’s these men and women, plus 852 “superdelegates”, who will determine which candidate is nominated. Democratic primaries and caucuses award delegates on a proportional basis. Below is the break down of delegates for the 2008 NV Primary:

  • Hillary Clinton won 12 Nevada delegates
  • Barack Obama won 13 Nevada delegates

From the perspective of delegates the 2008 NV Democratic Primary Sen. Barack Obama achieved victory by a margin of 1 NV delegate. This is because many delegates are decided at the district level and Obama won the more heavily populated southern districts in Nevada.

On the Republican side of the 2008 Election race the results were more conclusive: Romney 22,649 (51.1%); Paul 6,087 (13.7%); McCain 5,651 (12.7%); Huckabee 3,616 (8.2%): Thompson 3,521 (7.9%); Giuliani 1,910 (4.3%). This shows Romney as a solid winner of the popular vote in the Republican primary.

As with the Democrats, let us once again look at the practical matter of the allotment of delegates, since it’s these delegates who will actually nominate the Republican Party’s Presidential Candidate.

  • Mitt Romney won 17 Nevada delegates
  • Ron Paul won 4 Nevada delegates
  • John McCain won 4 Nevada delegates
  • Mike Huckabee won 3 Nevada delegates
  • Fred D. Thompson won 2 Nevada delegates
  • Rudolph Giuliani won 1 Nevada delegates

Mitt Romney actually did score a very decisive win the 2008 NV Republican Primary in all practical ways, both by popular support and by delegate allotment.

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6 Responses to “Who Won NV?”

  1. Christy Says:

    Thanks for the breakdown!

  2. Nevada Election Results Says:

    […] Who Won NV? […]

  3. aafke Says:

    Thanks, I’m always quite mystified by the american elections, you are much more clear than the news! 🙂

  4. jonolan Says:

    You’re both very welcome, Christy and aafke. I try my best to make sense of the US election process.

  5. Christy Says:

    Good luck with that.! 😉

    (You do a very good job.)

  6. Jack Says:

    john thompson barack obama…

    Nevertheless there will always be a minority who will not get the point you are trying to make….

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