ASSOCIATED PRESS
2016年アメリカ大統領選挙で、共和党の候補指名争い第3戦となるネバダ州の党員集会は2月23日（現地時間）、実業家のドナルド・トランプ氏が勝利を確実にした。トランプ氏は予備選・党員集会で3勝1敗となる。
開票結果によると、トランプ氏は他の候補に20％近い差をつけて圧勝する見通しだ。
ネバダ州は人口に占めるヒスパニック系住民の割合が高い地域だが、朝日新聞デジタルは、共和党の党員集会の参加者にヒスパニックが少ないため、「過激な言動でメキシコからの不法移民対策などを訴えるトランプ氏が同州でも高い人気を維持している」と分析している。
これまでトランプ氏は単純な投票となる予備選（ニューハンプシャー州、サウスカロライナ州）では勝利してきたが、小規模なコミュニティーの討論を積み重ねて勝者を決める「党員集会」のアイオワ州ではテッド・クルーズ上院議員に敗れていた。一般的に党員集会は、長時間拘束されて候補者選びを議論することをいとわない比較的熱心な党員が参加すると言われる。トランプ氏の今回の勝利は、そうした党員にもトランプ氏の人気が浸透していることを示す。
3月1日は13州で勝者を決める「スーパーチューズデー」がある。トランプ氏は事前の情勢調査で大きくリードを保っており、共和党内の対立候補がトランプ氏に追いつけるのか、またはトランプ氏の勢いをそぐことができるのかも焦点になる。
ネバダ州にはカジノなど巨大リゾート施設を多く抱えるラスベガスがあり、トランプ氏は「トランプ・インターナショナル・ホテル・ラスベガス」を経営している。カジノ業界には、ラスベガスと多くの縁があるトランプ氏の勝利を期待する雰囲気もある。
トランプ氏の支持層は主に北部と西部の住民で、地域共同体に重きを置き、「小さな政府」と銃規制反対、伝統的な価値を重視する。ネバダ州西部は、2014年に反政府を訴えて民間武装集団を形成した牧場主クライブン・バンディー容疑者（収監中）を、地元の英雄とたたえる雰囲気が強い。
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