Friday, 18th January 2008 (2790 views)

The race to become the next president of the United States has come to Elko, the rural Nevada town at the heart of America's gold mining country.

Four candidates, Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, plus Republican Mitt Romney, are passing through the booming gold town in an effort to drum up support ahead of the state's presidential nomination contests, Reuters reports.

With the race for the White House so open, Nevada has become a vital battleground, particularly for Democrats and Elko, which sits roughly 430 miles north of Las Vegas, is firmly in the spotlight.

Unlike many parts of the United States, where local economies are threatened by recession, north-east Nevada, home to much of the country's gold mining, is enjoying boom times.

Elko's mayor, Michael Franzoia, told the agency that in his 12 years in office, he had met three presidents, thanks to the town's role at the heart of US gold mining.

"For me as a politician in a small town, it's exciting," he said.

Nevada's caucuses for Democrat and Republican candidates take place on Saturday.

 

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