(JTA) — Bernie Sanders swept to victory in the Nevada caucuses, becoming the undisputed front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Sanders, the Independent senator from Vermont, finished in Nevada with about 47% of the vote, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden with 19% and, in third place, former South Bend, Indiana mayor, Pete Buttigieg, with 15%.
The Nevada caucus is the first nominating caucus in a racially diverse state. Nevada is 30% Latino and 10% black, and has a fast-growing Asian American population, according to The Hill. Sanders won well over half of the Latino vote and also did well with black voters, offering a clear answer to the question of whether his push for support across diverse communities would pay off.
“In Nevada we’ve just put together a multi-generational, multi-racial coalition, which is going to not only win in Nevada, it’s going to sweep this country,” Sanders said Saturday night at a campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas. Texas will hold its primary on March 3, one of 14 states to hold primaries on Super Tuesday.
“No campaign has a grassroots movement like we do, which is another reason why we are going to win this election,” said Sanders, who would become the first Jewish candidate atop a major-party ticket if he wins the Democratic nomination. He has embraced his Jewish identity on the campaign trail.
Earlier this month, Sanders won the New Hampshire primary with 26% of the vote, followed closely by Buttigieg. The two men essentially tied in the Iowa caucuses.
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