24 February 2016•Update: 24 February 2016
By Esra Kaymak Avci
WASHINGTON
As Donald Trump claimed his third straight victory in the Nevada caucuses Tuesday night, his nomination as Republican candidate for the U.S. presidential election has, despite earlier skepticism, become a glaring plausible possibility for media outlets across the country
According to CNN results, Trump received an estimated 43 percent of votes largely in front of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with approximately 24.4 percent and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with an estimated 23.6 percent.
“Donald Trump swept to a convincing victory in the Nevada presidential caucuses here Tuesday evening, building a broad coalition that left his top two rivals trailing far behind and accelerating his march to the Republican nomination,” wrote the Washington Post on Wednesday.
“Presidential politics is, at its core, all about math,” wrote Chris Cillizza in another piece in the Post. “And, the delegate math is close to conclusive: Donald Trump will be extremely close to the 1,237 delegates he needs to formally claim the party’s nomination by the end of the primary process.”
In Republican contests, candidates are awarded a certain number based on wins and/or percentages of votes obtained in caucuses and primaries.
Speaking after the win, Trump thanked each group of his supporters: "We won the evangelicals. We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated."
For months, since his presidential campaign started, the real estate mogul has vowed to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigration.
Despite his statements, CNN entrance polls indicate that "Latinos made up 9 percent of the electorate and 44 percent of them planned to back Trump" in Nevada's caucuses.
"We're number one with Hispanics," Trump said.
For Mr. Trump, the outcome in Nevada is another sign of his campaign’s durability and the breadth of his appeal”, wrote The New York Times. “He won over independent voters in New Hampshire and evangelicals in South Carolina, and prevailed in Nevada, where Mormon voters and rural activists wield influence.”
The Nevada caucuses mark the first Republican contest in the West and the fourth of the campaign.
Trump had won the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. In the Iowa caucuses, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had finished first.
The Republican presidential hopefuls are now headed to what is known as Super Tuesday on March 1, when caucuses and primaries in 13 states will take place at the same time.
