US Democratic Candidate Gears Up for Nevada Caucuses

The Nevada caucus is the next major election to take place on the road to the Republican and Democratic nomination for president this month.
Democratic party presidential candidates are gearing up for the Nevada caucuses, scheduled Feb.20.

Polls had previously shown Clinton with a comfortable lead on Sanders, but more recent polls have Sanders nearly tied. An average by RealClearPolitics had Clinton with a 2.4 lead in the state, which has a 28.5 percent Latino population.

Both Sanders and Clinton are campaigning heavily among the Latino population, which tends to vote Democratic. Nevada registered a record number of Latinos — nearly 200,000 — this election cycle, mostly youth. Black voters, which are increasingly turning to Sanders, represent 8.1 percent of the state.

ANALYSIS: Bernie Sanders Now Needs to Focus on Black and Latino Voters

Leading up to the Nevada primary, Bernie Sanders has spent around US$3.5 million on advertising campaigns in both English and Spanish. The Sanders campaign has also launched a large electoral operation, which includes more than 80 staffers on the ground and more offices in the state than Clinton.

Some of the key issues for Democrat voters will be the issue of economic security, health care and immigration. Nevada had one of the highest rates of foreclosures in the country after the 2008 financial crisis, which slowed down canvassing efforts of both campaigns, which rely on valid addresses.

IN DEPTH: Road to the US Election 2016