LAS VEGAS — When it became clear that Bernie Sanders was the winner of the Nevada caucuses, he was already wrapping up a rally in Texas.
In the week leading up to the Silver State contest, the Vermont senator’s big win seemed like a foregone conclusion. Candidates held few events and instead focused their energy on the South Carolina primary next Saturday and a slew of Super Tuesday contests occurring three days later.
But Nevada shouldn’t have been an easy win for Sanders, who had long alienated union members with his “Medicare for all” proposal, which would eliminate all private insurance. Months ago, Sanders was facing protests at campaign events with the Culinary Workers Union, whose members seemed to like the private insurance plan they currently have.
On Saturday, however, his front-runner status seemed to bring many of those voters into his camp.
In caucuses held at a number of casinos, such as the Bellagio and Mandalay Bay, Sanders was the clear winner. His impressive finish on the Vegas Strip indicates that members of the union, which repeatedly attacked him a week ago, broke with leadership and backed the socialist — even if his presidency meant them losing their hard-fought health benefits.
For months, the Sanders campaign thought the Nevada caucuses would be an uphill battle. In 2016, Sanders lost the state to Hillary Clinton after organized labor consolidated support behind the establishment favorite.
This time around, Sanders was prepared for the worst.
Operating under the expectation that organized labor would try to block a win, the Sanders campaign organized what staffers who spoke to the Washington Examiner “the largest field operation in the history of primaries.”
“We have built a turnout machine that will propel us to victory here in Nevada,” Sanders 2020 Nevada State Director Sarah Michelsen said in an emailed statement. “Our goal from day one has been to expand the electorate, and we are so proud to see so many first time caucus goers participate during early voting. It will take a diverse coalition of Nevadans taking part in the political process to win in Nevada and to ultimately defeat the most dangerous president in modern American history.”
The campaign had knocked on more than 500,000 doors in 17 Nevada counties, 200,000 more than its February goal.
With his double-digit win, Sanders has further solidified his status as the party’s front-runner. His impressive finish with black and Hispanic voters demonstrates that his appeal among minorities has expanded considerably from his 2016 run.
