Nevada gave Hillary Clinton the lift she needed to surge ahead in the Democratic presidential race Saturday. “Some may have doubted us but we never doubted each other,” Clinton told supporters gathered at Caesars Palace on the day she won the state’s caucus by about 6 percentage points.

Erika Herrera is a field organizer for the Nevada Democratic Party. This is the first campaign she has worked on since she was of voting age. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Cheska Perez, 18, is a field organizer for the Hillary for America campaign in Nevada and who has campaigned for Clinton since last summer when she started as a volunteer. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton,left, and her husband former president Bill Clinton celebrate with supporters during a victory party at Caesars Palace on Saturday, Feb.20, 2016. Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @jlscheid

A Hillary Clinton supporter from Precinct 4387 celebrates when she finds out they have the majority of voters in her precinct at the Nevada Democratic state caucus Rancho High School in Las Vegas, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Jerry Henkel/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Norman Robinovitz, precinct 7712 captain, wears a sticker for Hillary Clinton on his forehead during the Democratic Caucus at David M. Cox Elementary School on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bleblancphoto

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., gather in their local precinct area to be counted on caucus day at Del Webb Middle School in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., gather their cards to in a local precinct at Del Webb Middle School in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

Supporters gather following a watch party for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at the Henderson Pavilion in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

People line up to register for the Nevada caucus at Becker Middle School on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @Erik_Verduzco

Caucus attendees listen to instructions at the Democratic Caucus at Libby Booth Elementary School in Reno, Nev. on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Cathleen Allison/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Democratic caucus-goers line up in support of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at Del Webb Middle School in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

A Democratic caucus-goer fills out a form ahead of the party caucus at K.O. Knudson Middle School Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bizutesfaye

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband former president Bill Clinton wave at supporters during a victory party at Caesars Palace on Saturday, Feb.20, 2016. Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @jlscheid

Mike Schaefer reads the newspaper while waiting for shorter lines to register for the Nevada caucus at Becker Middle School on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @Erik_Verduzco

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., left, with his wife, Landra, arrive at Del Webb Middle School for Democratic caucus day in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

Democratic caucus-goers, from left, Seymour and Ellen Merill, and Gloria Newton, check in at Del Webb Middle School in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. The three were supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

Todd Sorensen, with the Bernie Sanders campaign, from left, Precinct Chair Scott Baez and Ben Mendez, site leader for Hillary Clinton, work to clarify the caucus count during the Democratic Caucus at Libby Booth Elementary School in Reno, Nev. on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Cathleen Allison/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supporters rally while attending the Nevada Democratic caucus at Caesars Palace on Saturday, Feb.20, 2016. Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @jlscheid

Hillary Clinton arrives at victory party (Jeff Scheid/ Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supports rally while standing in line to caucus at Caesars Palace. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Democratic caucus pack the hallway at Caesars Palace. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Bellagio hold box lunches while waiting in line to caucus at Caesars Palace. (Jeff Scheid/ Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A Bernie Sanders supporter waits in line to caucus at Caesars Palace. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

People wait in line to caucus at Caesars Palace. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A Hillary Clinton supporter waits in line to caucus at Caesars Palace. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Hillary Clinton supporters cheer when the Race was called (Jeff Sheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton meets employees during a campaign stop on caucus day at Harrah's Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada February 20, 2016. REUTERS/David Becker

Hillary and Bill Clinton victory party (Jeff Scheid/ Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Hillary and Bill Clinton shake hand at victory party (Jeff Scheid/ Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Hillary and Bill Clinton at victory party (Jeff Scheid/ Las Vegas Review-Journal)

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives to meet employees during a campaign stop on caucus day at Harrah's Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada February 20, 2016. REUTERS/David Becker TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Hillary and Bill Clinton waving (Jeff Scheid/ Las Vegas Review Journal)

Nevada gave Hillary Clinton the lift she needed to surge ahead in the Democratic presidential race Saturday.

“Some may have doubted us but we never doubted each other,” Clinton told supporters gathered at Caesars Palace on the day she won the state’s caucus by about 6 percentage points.

Earlier she reached out to her supporters in a Tweet: “To everyone who turned out in every corner of Nevada with determination and heart: This is your win. Thank you. -H”

Clinton easily beat Bernie Sanders 53 percent to 47 percent statewide, with 92 percent of precincts reporting. Her much-needed win in the third early voting state for Democrats came after she only narrowly won the Iowa caucus and lost the New Hampshire primary to Sanders.

Sanders, a senator from Vermont, conceded the Nevada race, congratulated Clinton and pledged to stay the course in seeking his party’s presidential nomination.

“I am very proud of the campaign we ran,” Sanders said in a statement. “Five weeks ago we were 25 points behind and we ended up in a very close election. And we probably will leave Nevada with a solid share of the delegates.

“I am also proud of the fact that we have brought many working people and young people into the political process and believe that we have the wind at our back as we head toward Super Tuesday. I want to thank the people of Nevada for their support that they have given us and the boost that their support will give us as we go forward,” Sanders added.

Results varied throughout state

Precinct-by-precinct results reported by the Nevada Democratic Party showed Clinton doing well across the Las Vegas Valley, while Sanders saw the best results in Northern Nevada and rural areas.

Clinton won Las Vegas Valley, including one city by 21 percentage points. North Las Vegas favored Clinton by 21 points and Henderson favored her by 11 points, with 95 percent of the precincts reporting. She was leading in Las Vegas which includes unincorporated Clark County, by 6.5 points.

Turnout was heavy at the party’s caucuses in Southern Nevada. A party official said turnout statewide is expected to be about 80,000 — heavy, but not a record. In 2008, about 117,000 Democrats caucused in Nevada in a historic battle between Clinton and Barack Obama.

Party officials seemed unprepared for the large turnout. Registration lines were long and slow-moving. Some sites ran out of voter registration forms; others made do by having English-speakers fill out Spanish-language paperwork. At North Las Vegas’s Cheyenne High School some would-be voters simply left rather than deal with chaos that kept many waiting in the sun well after the caucuses were to start. Many of the sessions started late, some by as much as an hour.

Saturday’s caucus is the first step for Nevada to send delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Precincts throughout Nevada awarded 12,000 delegates to the two candidates. The delegates go to county party conventions in April, where county delegates are picked for the party’s state convention in May. Winners there go on to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July.

Nevada will send 43 delegates to Philadelphia. Of those, 23 delegates who worked their way up from the caucuses; 13 pledged and unpledged party leaders and elected officials; and seven at-large delegates.

Clinton strong on Strip

From rural Nevada to the heart of the Strip, people stood in line to caucus. Strip workers had six at-large precinct sites that gave them an opportunity to caucus while on break during their shifts.

At Caesars, support for Clinton was strong, almost twice what Sanders received at that location.

At the Henderson Pavilion, Sanders had a watch party with supporters.

Las Vegan Gale Cerel, 62, said her precinct site was “crazy, insane” with the scramble for check-ins. Her precinct split delegates 6-6.

Regardless of the Nevada outcome, she said she felt good about Sanders’ chances going forward.

“Bernie speaks the words I’ve wanted to hear my entire life,” Cerel said. “He’s all about taking care of people’s basic needs. If we do that, think of how we can innovate.”

The caucus was seen as a test of durability for Clinton, a former secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York and wife of former President Bill Clinton, and Sanders, an independent senator who caucuses with Democratic senators.

The Clinton campaign established a presence in Nevada in early 2015, months before Sanders began making inroads in the state.

Nevada is a different kind of state with a much more diverse group of voters than Iowa and New Hampshire.

Both sides reached out to Latino voters in Nevada. Nearly 28 percent of the state is Hispanic, according to 2014 census figures.

Reuters cited entrance polls showing Sanders lost among black voters, by 22 percent to 76 percent, while winning among Hispanics, 53 percent to 45 percent.

In New Hampshire, the site of Sanders’ first win in the presidential nomination contests, just 3.3 percent of the population is Hispanic and the state is 94 percent white.

Clinton was looking at Nevada for much-needed momentum — and found it.

Las Vegas resident Jeff Eggelston walked into the Palace Ballroom at Caesars for the caucus day event for Clinton wearing red pants and a navy blue blazer embellished with stars. He’s been a Clinton supporter since 2008.

“I feel that she’s by far the most experienced person for the job,” he said. “She did a lot as first lady; she wasn’t just the president’s wife.”

Eggelston said he supports Clinton due to her focus on the economy — specifically building the middle class — as well as social and equal rights, and foreign policy.

“She’s fought so hard for this, and this is a huge thing for Nevada,” he said of Clinton’s caucus win. “A win’s a win but it’s not over after today. Bernie having come so close today will only help him gain supporters.”

Nevada Republicans will caucus Tuesday.

While Democrats caucused in Nevada, Republicans in South Carolina picked Republican Donald Trump in the first-in-the-South primary, according to CNN projections. And Republican Jeb Bush pulled out of the presidential race.

— Review-Journal writers Bethany Barnes, Adelaide Chen, Matthew Crowley and Ann Friedman contributed to this report. Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1