Sanders Wins Nevada Primary by a Landslide... Biden Comes in Second

Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential primary candidate, is campaigning in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the 21st (local time), one day before the Nevada caucus. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Senator Bernie Sanders won a landslide victory in the third Democratic presidential primary on the 22nd (local time), according to U.S. media reports.

If Senator Sanders' victory in the Nevada caucus is confirmed, he will achieve a two-win streak following New Hampshire. Shortly after the vote counting began, Sanders secured an early victory with a near-majority vote share.

Meanwhile, based on early vote counts, former Vice President Joe Biden, who suffered defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire, jumped to second place. Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who became the protagonist of the 'White Obama' wave with a surprise first-place finish in Iowa, fell to third place.

On the day, AP News, The Washington Post (WP), and CNN all reported Sanders' victory as certain in the early stages of vote counting. AP News stated, "Senator Sanders has solidified his position as the national frontrunner with a decisive victory in Nevada."

According to CNN, as of 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time (6:30 p.m. Nevada local time) on the day, with 11% of votes counted, Sanders led overwhelmingly with 44.1% of the vote based on county delegate allocation, nearing a majority.

Former Vice President Biden followed with 25.0% in second place, and former Mayor Buttigieg dropped to third with 14.9%. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, along with billionaire candidate Tom Steyer, ranked fourth to sixth with 8.4%, 3.6%, and 3.7%, respectively.

Sanders plans to capitalize on this momentum to secure his lead on March 3, "Super Tuesday," when primaries will be held simultaneously in 14 states, following the South Carolina primary on the 29th.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has rapidly risen as a moderate alternative candidate backed by massive financial resources, will officially join the race on Super Tuesday, setting the stage for a fierce battle among moderate candidates.

Nevada, with 36 delegates at stake, determined its rankings by combining early voting conducted over four days from the 15th to the 18th and the caucus results on the day.