Bernie Sanders declared victory late Tuesday night in the New Hampshire Primary, edging ahead of his main opponent from the Iowa Caucuses, Pete Buttigieg, as Amy Klobuchar surprised many by finishing a strong third in the Granite State.
"Let me say tonight that this victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump," Sanders said to cheering supporters.
"Now our campaign moves on to Nevada, South Carolina, to communities across our country," said Buttigieg.
"We have been on a quite a journey together, and you have learned this about me," Klobuchar told backers. "I never give up."
Here are some of the main points for Tuesday's vote:
+ Bernie Sanders. Sanders won easily in 2016 against Hillary Clinton with over 60 percent of the vote, but the tally in 2020 was much different, as he was held to 26 percent. There were some big changes from 2016, like in Exeter, where Sanders defeated Clinton, but this time, he finished third, well back of Buttigieg, who did well in the more populous southern areas of the state. This wasn't the slam dunk kind of win which Sanders backers might have been imagining when the sun came up - but it was still a victory.
+ Pete Buttigieg. After running neck-and-neck with Sanders in Iowa, Buttigieg may have lost some votes to Amy Klobuchar in the last few days, but still had enough for a very solid finish on the heels of Sanders. No matter the final result, it confirms that Buttigieg is in the top tier with Sanders, as the Indiana Mayor should have no problems continuing on in this race, and raising the necessary money to fund a more national campaign. The polls showed Buttigieg losing to Sanders by over 7 points in New Hampshire - but the final outcome was much closer. And someone was watching - as President Trump tweeted that Buttigieg was 'Giving Crazy Bernie a run for his money.'
+ Amy Klobuchar. After finishing fifth in Iowa, Klobuchar came to New Hampshire with seemingly little hope - then she had a solid debate performance, and her campaign took off with a late Granite State surge. While critics will certainly say that a third place finish might not mean much a few weeks from now, Klobuchar has certainly earned the right to move on to Nevada and South Carolina, and a shot on Super Tuesday. Klobuchar smartly went on to speak to her supporters while the votes were still coming in, and used her time to introduce herself to voters who may know little about her. "We have beaten the odds every step of the way," Klobuchar told her supporters in New Hampshire.
+ Elizabeth Warren. What a disappointing result this was for Warren, since much of New Hampshire is basically a suburb of Massachusetts, where she is a U.S. Senator. This should have been a home field advantage for her, just like it was for Bernie Sanders, who is from next door in Vermont. But not only did Warren fall flat and finish fourth, she couldn't even crack double digits, as she goes home with no delegates at all from New Hampshire, with major questions being raised about the long term viability of her campaign. She says she is going forward.
+ Joe Biden. The fact that the former Vice President was doing a campaign event in South Carolina on the night of the New Hampshire Primary tells you everything you need to know. Biden said only two states have voted so far, so there's no reason to give up before Nevada, South Carolina, and the Super Tuesday states. But Biden has now finished a distant fourth in Iowa, and a distant fifth in New Hampshire. He was the front runner for months. Now some political pundits openly wonder whether he's in danger of a campaign collapse.
Also of note, two candidates dropped out of the race on Tuesday night.
Next up are caucuses in Nevada on February 22, followed by a primary in South Carolina on February 29.
During that time, there are two also two debates.
Super Tuesday is March 3.
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