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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders raises his fist after winning the Nevada caucuses during a campaign rally.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders claimed another victory in the Nevada caucus on Saturday night. And two separate exit polls show his signature Medicare for All plan has proved popular with Democratic primary voters in the first three nominating states.
The Vermont senator has campaigned on creating a Medicare for All healthcare system that's managed by the government and insures every American whether they want it or not. The plan would abolish private insurance in the process, and do away with deductibles, premiums, and out-of-pocket spending.
An NBC News exit poll showed that Sanders's proposal to enact a government-run healthcare system that abolishes private insurance gained strong majority support in Nevada among Democrats. Around 62% supported it while 35% were opposed.
The same NBC poll found Medicare for All also drew strong backing among Democratic voters in Iowa (57% support vs. 38% opposition) and New Hampshire (58% support vs. 37% opposition).
Another exit poll from the Washington Post mirrored those results as around six-in-ten Nevada caucusgoers endorsed the Sanders plan, according to Post reporter Jeff Stein. There were similar showings in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
Medicare for All last year became an ideological wedge between progressives and moderate candidates competing to face off against President Trump in the general election.
Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand endorsed the policy proposal at the outset of their Democratic primary campaigns, but they backed off the idea after polls showed voters were wary of losing their private insurance. Sen. Elizabeth Warren also supported it but later said she'd pursue an optional government health insurance plan first.
Critics like former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden attacked Sanders, arguing he's pushing to adopt an unfeasible plan through Congress - and notably refusing to say how much it would cost.
NBC News entrance polls of Democrats on Medicare for All: 57-38% support in Iowa, 58-37% support in New Hampshire, 62-35% support in Nevada.
Maybe the candidates who staked their primary campaigns on opposing Medicare for All miscalculated.
- Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) February 22, 2020
JUST IN: 6 in 10 Nevada caucus-goers report in exit polls that they support eliminating private insurance & creating a single-payer system, per WaPo gurus @sfcpoll & @EmGusk. Same result in both NH and Iowa
Health care *the* top issue in all 3 stateshttps://t.co/HbbJyByU3m
- Jeffrey S. Stein (@JStein_WaPo) February 22, 2020