Senator Bernie Sanders scored a resounding victory in Nevada’s presidential caucuses on Saturday, according to projections by several networks and news agencies.
While results were still pouring in as of 8:00 p.m. EST, former Vice President Joe Biden was in second place, followed by Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.
The win cements the Vermont Senator’s status as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Fox News and NBC News were among those to have projected Sanders would win the state by Saturday evening Eastern time.
Early returns showed Sanders dominating among young people and Latinos, who make up nearly one-third of the electorate in Nevada. The Vermont senator also won several downtown Las Vegas caucus sites, underscoring his strong support among the labor union rank and file who are a powerful force in Nevada politics.
“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 told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at a rally in San Antonio, according to The Hill.
The Nevada win comes after Sanders narrowly defeated Buttigieg in New Hampshire. Sanders and Buttigieg split the delegates haul from the Iowa caucuses earlier this month.
Sanders’ victory in Nevada on Saturday showcased his support from the racial minorities that will play a huge role in determining the outcome of the nominating fight.