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Nevada GOP Chairman Defends Early Caucus

Julia Ritchey

The Nevada GOP's top dog is defending the state’s early caucus after a report that the Republican National Committee may send Nevada to the back of the line. 

A piecepublished in Politico over the weekend raised concerns that Nevada may lose its enviable first-in-the-West status in the presidential nominating process.

But to those rumors, Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald says not so fast.

“I’m not too worried about it because I know it didn’t mention this year.”

He says the article only made mention of problems in the 2012 cycle, when only 33,000 Nevadans showed up to the Republican caucus. This year, more than 75,000 people participated.

“I was actually called by the RNC to fix 2012," he says. "I stand on my record on what we’ve done here with our team.”

He says revoking Nevada’s early status would be a mistake.

“We have all factions here, all groups, all cultures," he says. "Taking it to another state would only harm Republicans, because when you look at what Nevada has to offer, we’re kind of a shining point on that level.”

RNC officials are said to be considering other diverse Western states, including Colorado or Arizona.

Julia Ritchey is a former reporter at KUNR Public Radio.
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