Ramaswamy to hold first campaign rally in Las Vegas

Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will be in Las Vegas Sunday for his first campaign rally in Nevada, his campaign announced Thursday.

“The path to victory in 2024 runs through states like Nevada, which is why I’m thrilled to be making our first major campaign stop in the state this weekend,” he said in a statement.

Nevada is considered a key early voting state for Republicans.

Ramaswamy’s announcement comes off a disappointing debate performance for the Ohio entrepreneur Wednesday night. 

His campaign has failed to capitalize on momentum gained after a headline-grabbing first debate and has lagged in recent weeks as voters increasingly see Ramaswamy as unlikable, according to polls.

The Nevada Republican Party announced it will hold a caucus Feb. 8, bucking the state election calendar, which has a Feb. 6 primary scheduled, and ignoring a new state law requiring primaries instead of caucuses. That move is anticipated to aid former President Trump.

It may also confuse voters, as rules passed by the state party ban candidates who participate in the sanctioned primary from participating in the caucus two days later. Ramaswamy was the first candidate to commit to the caucus, with Trump committing just after.

Nevada will still hold a primary Feb. 6, though it is unclear which candidates will actually be on the ballot. The state GOP has already committed to ignoring its results.

The rules between the contests also differ, with the Nevada GOP-run caucus eliminating mail-in voting, requiring voter ID and mandating the use of paper ballots.

The Nevada GOP is run by Trump allies. Michael McDonald, the state party chair, was a so-called “fake elector” on behalf of Trump in schemes to overturn 2020 election results in Nevada. He said the caucus is spurred on by election security needs, not out of favoritism for Trump.

“Nevada is currently missing Voter ID, transparent tabulation in elections, precinct-based voting, and we see our streets and trash cans flooded with unsolicited mail-in ballots,” McDonald told party members before the rule change. “I will NEVER give up the fight for free and fair elections.”

Ken Cuccinelli, who heads the Never Back Down PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, argued the caucus strongly favors Trump.

“Trump hates rigged elections, except when he’s doing the rigging, like he’s doing in Nevada,” Cuccinelli told The Associated Press.