RENO - In an embarrassing setback, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley lost the Nevada GOP presidential primary Tuesday to "none of these candidates."

The loss is largely meaningless, because former President Donald Trump decided to skip the Nevada presidential preference primary and instead is expected to win the GOP-run caucuses Thursday night. That victory will give him all 26 of the state's delegates.

But it's a symbolic hit to the former governor who came in third in Iowa and second in New Hampshire and heads next to her home state's Feb. 24 Republican primary. She captured almost 32% of the vote, while "none" claimed nearly 62% with close to two-thirds of the state's votes counted.

A number of Republican voters, initially confused about why Trump wasn't on their ballot, said they voted for "none of these candidates" in support of the former president.

“I wanted Donald Trump to be on there,” said Republican voter Ron Stanley, 64, a truck driver, who dropped off a ballot in person in downtown Reno shortly before noon.

свернуть