There’s a candidate inspiring a huge groundswell in the 2016 presidential election, but it isn’t the one who’s been promising a political revolution.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump crushed the competition in Nevada Tuesday night, taking 45.9 percent of the vote for his strongest win yet.



Gabrielle Levy for USN&WR; Source: Republican Party of Nevada

Trump has presided over – and taken credit for – bringing in historic numbers of voters to the first four states to weigh in on the Republican race: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

After coming in second place in Iowa, the billionaire real estate developer has gone on to win the subsequent three states by large margins. In Nevada Tuesday night, Trump received more votes – 34,531 – than the total number of Republican caucus-goers in either 2012 or 2008.

So far, Nevada has seen the biggest increase in voter interest on the right: Republican turnout in the Silver State was up 56 percent over 2012 and 118 percent over 2008.

Last Saturday’s GOP primary in South Carolina saw a 22 percent boost over 2012, while New Hampshire voting participation increased 14 percent.



Gabrielle Levy for USN&WR; Source: Republican Party of New Hampshire, Republican Party of South Carolina

In the Iowa caucuses, Trump took 24 percent, and with 45,427 votes, garnered more support than any Republican in the history of the caucus. But it was only good enough for second: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who won the state, got 51,666 votes and 28 percent.

Gabrielle Levy for USN&WR; Source: Republican Party of Iowa

Asked to put his success into historical context, Trump said he is assembling a movement like the one Ronald Reagan had in 1980, which swept The Gipper to the White House in a landslide victory.

“Now, Reagan had a little bit of this, but I don’t think to the same extent – but he also won,” Trump told Bloomberg. “I think that the closest thing I can think of is Reagan, but I don’t think it’s the intensity that we have.”

Democrats, by comparison, have seen turnout down across the board. That’s proven to be a big problem for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Socialist Democrat who has predicated much of his candidacy on fomenting a political revolution.



Gabrielle Levy for USN&WR; Source: Democratic Party of New Hampshire

The New Hampshire electorate, where Sanders had his big, 22-point win over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, shrunk the least from 2008 – decreasing 13 percent.

But turnout in Iowa, where Clinton eked out a slim victory, turnout was down 29 percent from 2008. And Nevada’s turnout was 30 percent smaller than eight years ago.

Sanders has excused the downturn by pointing out that the 2008 election, in which Clinton faced off against then-Sen. Barack Obama, shattered political records.

Asked Wednesday if the low turnout was a sign that his political revolution was failing to materialize, Sanders brushed aside the inference.



Gabrielle Levy for USN&WR; Source: Democratic Party of Iowa, Democratic Party of Nevada