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Nikki Haley suffered an embarrassing loss in Tuesday's (February 6) Republican primary in Nevada, losing to "none of these candidates."
It is the first time any candidate has lost to "none of these candidates" since Nevada added the option to the ballot in 1975.
Haley was the only major Republican candidate on the ballot, as former President Donald Trump opted not to participate. However, the loss was more symbolic because the Republican National Committee was not counting the results of the election due to a dispute with Nevada over the newly created primary.
In 2021, the Nevada legislature changed the law and eliminated the state caucuses in favor of a primary election. The Nevada GOP balked at the new law and decided it would continue to hold the caucuses. Republican officials said that candidates would be awarded delegates based on the results of the caucuses and not the primary election.
In addition, candidates were barred from running in both contests. Haley and several other Republican candidates who had already dropped out of the race elected to participate in the primary, while Trump opted to participate in the caucuses.
Haley's loss has renewed calls for her to drop out of the race, but she remains defiant despite losing in Iowa and New Hampshire. She still believes she has a path to win the nomination and is hoping for a strong showing in her home state of South Carolina on February 24.