Nevada Secretary of State’s Office to Conduct GOP Presidential Primary Despite Upcoming Party-Run Caucus

The office of the Secretary of State in Nevada is set to organize a presidential primary for Republican voters, irrespective of the Nevada Republican Party’s announcement that it will only recognize the outcomes of its own caucus for selecting the GOP presidential nominee.

On Friday, a second Republican presidential contender who is considered a longshot entered their name into the primary race. This action activated a 2021 state law, compelling the Nevada Secretary of State to conduct a presidential primary for the Republican Party.

The scheduling of these two separate nominating events within a three-day span in February could potentially lead to considerable confusion among Republican voters.

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar stated, “I lack the discretion to pick and choose which laws or regulations to adhere to. My role as a regulator does not include such latitude.”

The decision by the Nevada Republican Party to go forward with a caucus, despite state law, has sparked criticism. This critique comes even from within its own membership and is largely based on concerns of voter confusion and suspicions that the party is manipulating the process to favor former President Donald Trump.

However, the caucus regulations were ratified by the party’s central committee in a vote conducted last month.

Among the approved rules is a stipulation that disqualifies any candidate from participating in the February 8 caucus if they choose to be part of the state-run primary scheduled for February 6. This creates a dilemma for Republican candidates who must decide between participating in a symbolic primary or a caucus perceived to be skewed in favor of Trump.

Michael McDonald, Chairman of the Nevada GOP and a disputed elector from the 2020 election, has continually upheld the decision to hold a caucus. He argues that the rules were not designed to advantage any specific candidate. Furthermore, he expressed dissatisfaction with the Democratic-controlled Legislature in Nevada for dismissing Republican Governor Joe Lombardo’s proposed election laws, particularly a law mandating ID verification at the time of voting, not just during voter registration.

Regarding the caucus, McDonald said in a post-approval interview, “The arrangement allows each candidate a fair chance to mobilize their supporters. My responsibility and objective are to facilitate the candidates’ acquaintance with all our counties.”

As of now, only Donald Trump and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy have confirmed their participation in the caucus. The two Republicans currently on the primary ballot—Reno resident Heath Fulkerson and Texas resident John Castro—are relatively unknown. Castro has gained some attention for his legal attempts to remove Trump’s name from the primary ballots in multiple states, including Nevada, citing Trump’s involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack. The Supreme Court has declined to consider this lawsuit at the federal level.

Other campaigns have yet to announce their choice of nominating contest. A Super PAC supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, known as Never Back Down, has withdrawn its canvassers from Nevada and other states due to the Nevada GOP’s caucus plans.

In contrast to the state-run primary laws, which permit universal mail-in ballots, early voting, and same-day registration, the caucus calls for voter ID, paper ballots, and same-day voting only.

Secretary Aguilar’s office is initiating a voter education campaign specifically focused on the primary process they are overseeing, leaving caucus outreach to the jurisdiction of the state party and the participating candidates.

“If they’ve concluded that this serves their party’s best interests, that decision is theirs to make,” Aguilar remarked. “It is not my place to opine on the matter.”

___ Stern is a member of The Big Big News/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a non-profit organization dedicated to placing journalists in local newsrooms. Stern can be followed on X, which was formerly known as Twitter: @gabestern326.

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More about Republican Primary Conflict

• Nevada GOP’s Decision to Hold Caucus
• Nevada’s 2021 State Law on GOP Primary
• Concerns Over Voter Confusion
• Criticism of Nevada Republican Party
• Rules for Candidates in Nevada GOP Caucus
• List of GOP Candidates in Nevada
• Super PAC Withdraws from Nevada
• Comparison of Election Laws
• Nevada Secretary of State’s Role