In crisis-hit Vegas, locals bet on Romney Las Vegas retiree Catherine Scherer's problems are, unfortunately, all too common in the Nevada gambling city: "I lost everything I had," she said, before voting for Mitt Romney. The 78-year-old braved the chilly morning breeze Saturday to be among first to arrive at Ernest A. Becker Sr. Middle School, to cast her vote for the former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential frontrunner. Under clear blue skies and in the shadow of the red-tinged mountains which overshadow the leafy northwestern suburb of Summerlin, hundreds joined her for one of America's more curious democratic traditions. Las Vegas and the state of Nevada have the highest foreclosure rates in the country, as well as among the highest unemployment and bankruptcy rates. The economy was on everyone's lips. Everyone seems to be out of work. I lost my home for being under, and I just think we need someone in there to help us," she told AFP, explaining how she was forced to sell at a loss last year after house prices plummeted. Last January I lost it. I was fortunate to be able to sell it, but it was under (loan value) and I had to put up money, so I lost everything I had," she said. She was far from the only one to back Romney in Nevada, where his reputation for saving lost causes, such as the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics in neighboring Utah, earns him a lot of respect. He's a turnaround specialist. That's what we need right now," Mark Hutchison told the 50 locals who make up precinct 3807, sat on benches along child-sized tables in the school's airy cafeteria. Hutchison took his turn to address the group for up to two minutes, winning a flurry of applause from the clearly partisan crowd in the refectory, plastered with posters for the Becker Bighorns, and snack price lists. A few minutes later, when the blue voting slips were counted out in piles on the tabletop as everyone looked on, the result was decisive: three votes for Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, eight for Ron Paul, and 36 for Romney. "In this caucus station he won pretty well, It was probably not quite half, but close to half... the others were quite a bit behind him," site manager West Allen said after the morning's caucuses in the cafeteria and classrooms. Describing locals as "pragmatic," he said: "Mitt Romney did well in part because he's worked hard and earned it, he's been here a very long time. The other candidates just kinda showed up. Forecasting a Romney victory state-wide -- not a surprise, after pre-caucus polls showed him with some 50 percent of the vote, he added: "Overwhelmingly today I would think you'll have results similar to what we have here." Not everyone agreed: 38-year-old mother Itzel Siu brought her seven-day old son Colten and nine-year-old daughter Hannah along to the caucus to vote for Paul, pointing to her children as the reason she made the effort. This inflation pattern that we're on right now will directly effect the lives of my children... I'm trying to ensure that that pattern stops, because I don't want to pass on all this debt to my children," she said. Gingrich also had his supporters, although a random trawl of caucus-goers found only one, lukewarm voter. "Well, we don't have much of a choice," said Donald Smith, 82, who came with his wife Boydes. I don't think we'll ever get anybody to run that's really top-notch because of the way our political system is, number one, and number two, out of the choice we have, Newt seems to be the most knowledgeable of running government. "I think he could probably do a half-way decent job of running the government," he added. Scherer admitted that Newt also attracted her. I was always leaning towards Newt Gingrich, but I think I'll vote for Romney today. He's more stable, he had some very good answers last night on the television. I think he would make a good man in there.