Democratic candidates face most diverse electorate so far in Nevada caucuses

Nevada Democrats head to the caucuses Saturday in the most diverse state to cast votes thus far, with party officials hoping to avert an Iowa-style disaster and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders looking to prove his general election mettle with a strong showing in the state’s large Latino community.

While polling is notoriously difficult in Nevada, Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden have been jockeying for the lead in the Silver State for months now, with Sanders rising after his team built deep organizing roots in the state — particularly within the Latino community — some eight months ago.

Sanders projected the confidence of a front-runner Friday by steering his campaign toward the upcoming Super Tuesday contests of California and Texas, holding a midday rally in Santa Ana, California, Friday before a full slate of events in Texas Saturday.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren campaigned hard in Nevada, seeking a last-minute surge after she led the charge against former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in Wednesday night’s Las Vegas debate. (Bloomberg is not competing in the state).