Nevada GOP OKs plan to shift caucus date
RENO -- Nevada Republicans gave final approval Saturday to a plan to push up their presidential caucus to Jan. 19, the same day that the state's Democrats will vote for their candidates.
The GOP state central committee's action follows the Democratic National Committee's decision last summer to give Nevada the second 2008 presidential caucus in the nation, just five days after the Iowa caucus and before New Hampshire's primary.
Had Republicans not followed suit, an organizational headstart would have bolstered the Democratic nominee's chances of capturing Nevada, said Pete Ernaut, a Republican lobbyist who led the push for the change.
The move, approved by voice vote in Carson City, also was designed to attract more national campaign attention, he said.
"There have been razor-thin election margins in Nevada and it would only take a gentle nudge to shove it from a red state to a blue state," Ernaut said. "Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, it's just going to be a great day for Nevada. Nevada will squarely be in the national spotlight."
Nevada, with a nearly equal number of Democrats and Republicans, was a key swing state the past two presidential elections. Bill Clinton won Nevada twice, as did George Bush, although by narrow margins.
The move to advance the caucus by about three months was supported by GOP Gov. Jim Gibbons and all three Republican members of the state's congressional delegation: Sen. John Ensign and Reps. Jon Porter and Dean Heller.
But the plan drew opposition from some activists who cited a Republican rule that requires states to lose half their delegates to the national convention if they hold their contests before Feb. 5.
"For some folks that was a tough pill to swallow," Ernaut said. "But the vast majority saw that the advantages of an earlier caucus far outweighed the loss of delegates."
At least a dozen states, including California and New York, have moved their primaries or caucuses to Feb. 5, and other states are considering such moves.
