Clinton, Sanders locked in tight race in Nevada caucuses

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were locked in a tight race Saturday in Nevada's Democratic caucuses as thousands of voters packed schools, casinos and hotels as the presidential campaign shifted to contests in more diverse states across the country.

Though Clinton installed staff on the ground last spring, Sanders' message of combating income inequality appeared to resonate in a state where many voters are still struggling to rebound after years of double-digit unemployment.

Entrance polls of voters found that a third said the economy was their major concern, while a quarter cited income inequality — the centerpiece of the Sanders' campaign.

"If Ronald Reagan can smash the American Dream from right field, then Bernie can build it back up from left field," said Dale Quale, a 60-year-old unemployed former slot machine technician who estimated that he had made 800 phones calls for the Vermont senator before the caucus.

A Sanders victory would undercut one of Clinton's major campaign arguments: that the Vermont senator largely appeals to white liberals, a relatively narrow swath of the Democratic Party.

Significant spending by Sanders on paid media and staff helped his campaign make inroads into the Latino and African-American communities, which make up a significant portion of the Democratic electorate in the state.