LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The date has officially been set for the First in the West Caucus.
On Monday, the Nevada Republican Party announced the caucus is scheduled for Feb. 8.
"This event marks a crucial step in shaping the Republican nomination process for President and amplifies Nevada's significance in the national political landscape," the party said in a statement. "The First in the West Caucus underscores Nevada's prominence as a key player in the Presidential nomination process. The Caucus will provide Nevada voters with the unique opportunity to engage with the candidates, discuss important issues, and voice their opinions on the future direction of the Republican Party."
According to a press release, presidential candidates will be able to file from Sept. 1. to Oct. 15.
The Nevada Republican Party stated further details including locations for the Caucus will be announced on their website at a later date.
We look forward to hosting the First In The West Presidential Caucus on February 8, 2024!
— Nevada GOP (@NVGOP) August 14, 2023
Nevada plays an instrumental role in determining the next President of the United States, and we are excited for each Republican nominee to engage with Republican grassroots voters.
Read… pic.twitter.com/5Y38hofVZb
This could cause confusion for voters. That's because the party is planning to hold this caucus despite the state holding a presidential primary for both Democrats and Republicans. The primary is scheduled for Feb. 6, which falls after the Iowa caucus and primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
RELATED LINK: Dueling GOP presidential nominating contests in Nevada raise concerns
In Nevada, caucuses had been the preferred method until state Democrats pushed through a law in 2021 moving to a primary, a system that tends to get higher rates of voter participation.
In June, the Nevada Republican Party sued the state in an effort to maintain party-run caucuses. Last month, a Nevada district court ruled against the GOP's request to block the state-run primary.
"We're going to spend millions of dollars of taxpayers money and it's not going to matter," Nevada Republican Party Chair Michael McDonald said following that ruling. "We're literally going to waste millions of dollars on a primary that's going to silence people's voices."
However, state Attorney General Aaron Ford said that's not true.
"A [presidential primary] election would simplify the process," Ford's office said last month. "Caucuses can be hard for voters to understand, especially for those with a language barrier, but an easier process would encourage voters to participate."
If the current dates of the caucus and primary hold and the Nevada Republican Party chooses to honor the caucus results, the presidential primary results would essentially be disregarded.
The last GOP caucus in Nevada was during the 2016 election cycle since all of Nevada's delegates were allocated to former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Channel 13 reached out to the Nevada Democratic Party to see if they're planning a similar event and they sent the following statement.
"Democrats passed legislation moving from a caucus to a presidential preference primary to simplify the process and make voting easier and more accessible, but the Nevada GOP is committed to confusing voters and making it harder for them to participate - all in the name of boosting their MAGA leader Donald Trump."
