LAS VEGAS — Donald Trump easily won the Nevada Republican caucus Tuesday night, taking one more giant step toward becoming the party’s presidential nominee.
The New York real estate tycoon outpaced his nearest rivals by more than 20 points.
“We love Nevada,” Trump told supporters at the Treasure Island casino on the Las Vegas Strip as he declared victory.
“The whole thing it’s going to be an amazing two months,” he added, referring to the next primary contests. “We might not even need the two months.”
Trump then quickly ran through a litany of his campaign proposals.
“We’re gonna get greedy for the United States,” he pledged. “We’re gonna bring in so much money, so much everything.”
Trump took about 47 percent of the vote, according to early returns.
Marco Rubio was pulling in 23.7 percent and Ted Cruz was third with about 20 percent.
“The only campaign that can beat Donald Trump is this campaign,” said Cruz, who vowed to battle on.
Rubio was already campaigning in Michigan when the results came in. That state’s primary will be held on March 8.
Ben Carson, with just over 5 percent, was undeterred.
“I believe that things are starting to happen here,” Carson told supporters Tuesday evening.
Most Nevada voters were looking for a political outsider to win the nomination, according to entrance polls. Of those voters, 70 percent preferred Trump.
Trump’s Nevada victory came days after he handily took South Carolina on Saturday. He also easily won New Hampshire after losing a squeaker to Cruz in Iowa.