In recent days, however, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has seen his support surge, at least with some current colleagues and former members of the Senate.
Former Sen. Bob Dole, (R-Kan.), who was the Repbulican presidential nominee in 1996, announced his support for Rubio on Monday.
While turnout in Nevada’s caucuses are traditionally low, organizers are saying that may not be the case Tuesday.
Here are some things to know about Tuesday’s Republican caucus in Nevada.
The mechanics of the vote
- To caucus Tuesday, have to be registered and you had to have done it 10 days ago.
- Once everyone is signed in, those caucusing will receive a ballot on which they will mark their choice for a candidate.
- Unlike the Democrat's process, there are no gathering in groups or being part of a head-count.
- The caucuses will start after 5 p.m. (PT) and must end before 9 p.m.
- Nevada will send 30 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Those candidates will be awarded proportionally after Tuesday's caucuses.
- In 17-county Nevada, the Republicans have more than 1,700 precincts and more than 130 caucus locations.
- The Republican caucuses are the fourth contest for the contenders for the GOP nomination.
Nevada has a knack for picking winners
According to a story from Politico, with the exception of the 1976 election, Nevadans have chosen the winning president in every election since 1912. Nevada is considered a swing state that tends to lean a little more Democratic than Republican.
Who is still in the race for the Republican nomination?
These are the Republican candidates still in the race., along with a link to their websites. After Saturday’s South Carolina primary, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush suspended his campaign.
What do the polls say?
Donald Trump is seen as the clear front-runner in the Nevada caucuses, and polls released during the past few days back up that perception.
The RealClear Politics polling average gives Trump 42 percent of the vote. Behind him is Cruz with 20 percent, Rubio with 19 percent and Kasich with 7 percent.
A CNN/ORC poll had Trump at 45 percent, with Rubio in second place at 19 percent, Cruz with 17 percent and Carson with 7 percent.
How do you say that, anyway?
Apparently Nevada citizens are a little touchy about how the state’s name is pronounced. According to a video from the YouTube Pronunciation Book, the correct way to say Nevada is: Ne-vadd-ah (the “a” is pronounced as the “a” in “cat.”)
How many delegates are at stake?
There are 30 delegates up for grabs in Nevada. Ten at-large delegates, 12 district delegates – three for each of the four congressional districts in Nevada -- five “bonus” delegates and three Republican National Committee delegates. The delegates are awarded proportionately, based on the votes cast.
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