To: Interested Parties
From: Zach Zaragoza, Executive Director, Nevada State Democratic Party
Subject: CAUCUS MEMO: Democratic Presidential Race Shifts to Nevada
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2016
With Iowa and New Hampshire behind us, Nevada’s First in the West presidential caucus is on deck. Just 10 days away, the race now shifts to the West, with a focus on Nevada’s diverse electorate including a growing Latino, Asian and African American population. Here’s a primer on what to expect on Saturday, February 20:
Diverse Electorate
According to 2014 census data, roughly half of Nevada’s population is non-white:
- 27.8% Latino
- 9.1% African American
- 8.3 % Asian American
- 0.7% Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
- 1.6% American Indian and Alaska Native
- 4.0% Two or more races
- 51.5% White alone
Here’s the demographic breakdown from 2008 caucus exit polls, the last time Nevada had a competitive Democratic caucus as an early state:
- 15% Latino
- 15% African American
- 3% Asian American
- 65% White
And here’s the demographic breakdown from the 2012 general election exit polls:
- 19% Latino
- 9% African American
- 5% Asian American
- 64% White
Population Breakdown
- Clark County: Of the estimated 2.8 million people who call Nevada home, nearly 2.1 million live in Clark County (Las Vegas) in Southern Nevada. That adds up to a whopping 73 percent of the state’s population.
- Washoe County: Another estimated 440,000 people live in Washoe County (Reno) – the main population center in Northern Nevada. That’s nearly 16 percent of the state’s population.
- Rural Counties: Nevada is the seventh largest state in the country, and the remaining 330,000 people live in Nevada’s more rural counties. Nevada’s 15 rural counties account for about 11 percent of the state’s population.
- Labor: Nevada is the only early state with a strong organized labor presence. In 2014, union members accounted for 14.4 percent of wage and salary workers in Nevada – about 169,000 workers.
- Veterans: 227,000 veterans call Nevada home – about 8 percent of the state’s population.
- Growth: From 2000 to 2010, Nevada was the number one fastest growing state in the entire country in terms of population.
Swing State Status
Nevada is poised to be a key battleground at the presidential level and down the ticket. Our caucuses are an important organizing tool to mobilize our volunteers early in the election cycle, so we get a head start on winning Nevada for the Democratic presidential nominee, electing Catherine Cortez Masto to the U.S. Senate, electing more Democrats to Congress, and taking back our Democratic majorities in state Senate and Assembly.
- 2008: Barack Obama beat John McCain by 12.4 percent (55.1% – 42.7%)
- 2012: Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney by 6.6 percent (52.3% – 45.7%)
Registered Democrats by County
These numbers are based on active registered Nevada voters as of January 2016, according the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office.
| County | Active Registered Democrats |
| Carson City | 6,466 |
| Churchill | 2,497 |
| Clark | 350,534 |
| Douglas | 5,667 |
| Elko | 3,668 |
| Esmeralda | 115 |
| Eureka | 102 |
| Humboldt | 1,430 |
| Lander | 504 |
| Lincoln | 664 |
| Lyon | 7,634 |
| Mineral | 1,055 |
| Nye | 7,025 |
| Pershing | 607 |
| Storey | 679 |
| Washoe | 81,350 |
| White Pine | 1,345 |
| TOTAL | 471,342 |
Be sure to follow @nvdems and #NVDemsCaucus to stay tuned in to what’s happening here in Nevada. Check out our website at nvdems.com for additional information.
