Former President Trump on Thursday won the Nevada GOP caucuses, AP projects, sweeping the state's 26 delegates, in a contest that did not include former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.

Why it matters: The contest was largely a formality as Trump was expected to cruise to victory as the only major candidate competing.

• Nevada held dueling Republican contests this year, and the only two remaining serious GOP candidates opted to compete in different ones.

The big picture: Haley competed in the state-run GOP primary on Tuesday, where she came in second to the "none of these candidates" option.

• The unusual process is the result of a 2021 state law that said that a primary must take place if more than one candidate files for the presidency.
• The Nevada Republican Party, led by Trump allies, opposed the change and went along with the party-run caucuses and made it the only contest that awarded delegates.

Zoom in: The move was seen as a way to lock up the state's delegates for Trump, as caucuses often reward candidates with an enthusiastic voter base.

• But the unusual nature of the dueling contests had the potential of confusing voters and Trump's campaign feared that the former president could underperform against expectations, Axios' Sophia Cai reported.

What's next: The next serious GOP primary is in Haley's home state of South Carolina on Feb. 24.