Romney, Clinton win in Nevada

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney easily won Nevada’s Republican caucuses, while New York Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic caucuses in that state.

With approximately 80 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had won 53 percent of a Republican straw ballot.  Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was in second place with 13 percent of the vote, just 21 votes ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain.  Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were in a virtual tie for fourth with 8 percent of the vote, while former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City trailed badly with just 4 percent of the vote.

The Democratic caucuses were much closer.  With about 90 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton had won 51 percent of delegates to Nevada’s state convention, with Obama close behind with 45 percent.  Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was a distant third with 4 percent of the vote, while Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, was in fifth place, trailing uncommitted delegates, with less than 1 percent of the vote.The wins in Nevada were important to both Clinton and Romney, both of whom are looking for momentum going forward.  Romney needed the win in the delegate-rich Nevada caucuses to offset a near-certain loss in today’s South Carolina primary.  With the win, Romney appears likely to stretch his overall lead in delegates. In a statement, Romney said, “Whether it is reforming health care, making America energy independent or securing the border, the American people have been promised much and are now ready for change.”

Clinton, meanwhile, wins her second consecutive contest, and prevents Obama from building up steam going into next week’s South Carolina primary, where Obama holds a significant lead, according to polling.  In a statement, the Clinton campaign called the victory “a huge victory by overcoming institutional hurdles and one of the worst negative ads in recent memory.”  Clinton had decried Spanish-language ads run by allies of Obama, which called Clinton “shameless.”

The results in Nevada were a crushing blow to the faltering campaign of John Edwards, who has yet to finish higher than second in a primary or caucus.  Edwards had been rising in the polls in the last week, but ultimately faded, and will receive minimal support.  He will go into South Carolina desperately needing a win before the Super Duper Tuesday primaries and caucuses on Feb. 5.