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Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders win New Hampshire primaries Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders win New Hampshire primaries
(about 1 hour later)
Voters in New Hampshire delivered a resounding rebuke of the US political establishment on Tuesday, with strong wins for leftwing Democrat Bernie Sanders and bombastic Republican outsider Donald Trump in the second major test of the 2016 presidential race.Voters in New Hampshire delivered a resounding rebuke of the US political establishment on Tuesday, with strong wins for leftwing Democrat Bernie Sanders and bombastic Republican outsider Donald Trump in the second major test of the 2016 presidential race.
The validation of both insurgent campaigns followed a surprise win for Texas maverick Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucuses last week and a poor showing by both Hillary Clinton and most mainstream Republicans, which together suggest a long and volatile primary race ahead. The Vermont senator’s victory over Hillary Clinton will give him much needed momentum as he heads for tougher states further south, while high voter turnout helped power Trump to a double-digit victory that could end up matching consistent polling leads he has maintained since declaring his candidacy.
Sanders, the Democratic socialist senator from nearby Vermont, was headed for a commanding victory over Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary, according to preliminary results from the Associated Press. High voter turnout helped power Trump to a double-digit victory that could end up matching consistent polling leads he’s maintained since declaring his candidacy.
High voter turnout helped power Trump to a double-digit victory that could end up matching consistent polling leads, he’s maintained since declaring his candidacy. Voters hungry for what Sanders calls “political revolution” turned out in large numbers to vote for the Democratic socialist, according to projections from the Associated Press.
In his victory speech, Trump started by emotionally thanking his deceased parents as well as his siblings. It was an unusually emotional move for a GOP frontrunner, who has rarely seemed reflective on the stump. Sanders took to the stage at his victory party and wasted no time going straight to the theme that appears to have dominated the election here: campaign finance.
Then, before a raucous room of supporters well-lubricated by nearly three hours of repeated visits to a cash bar, the Republican frontrunner congratulated his staff and thanked his family members. “Together we have sent a message that will resonate from Wall Street to Washington ... that government belongs to all of the people,” he said to huge applause and foot-stomping from a fired up audience of mixed ages.
Trump also took a moment to mention Bernie Sanders, the winner of the Democratic primary. “Congratulations to Bernie. We have to congratulate him, we may not like it. He wants to give away our country, folks. We’re not going to let it happen.”
Trump concluded by promising attendees that once he is elected “we are going to start winning again. We are going to win so much, you are going to be so happy, we are going to make America so great again, maybe greater than before.”
Although early exit numbers showed a tight race between Ohio governor John Kasich, Texas senator Ted Cruz, Florida senator Marco Rubio and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, the Associated press called second place for Kasich, with more than 70% of precincts reporting in the state’s Republican primary.
At his victory party in Concord, Kasich told a packed banquet hall: “There’s magic in the air with this campaign.”
The rest of the Republican field was expected to space out as the night wore on. But early indications showed that Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor who lambasted Rubio on the debate stage last weekend, might not last long despite having banked on a strong showing here.
The fight over the 2016 nomination had been expected to be a wintertime formality for Clinton. But the prospect of sustained campaigns from Sanders had sent the former secretary of state’s campaign into a whirlwind of spin about whether the outsider surge could last.
The call for Sanders came early: with nearly 60% of precincts reporting, he had 59.3% of the votes to Clinton’s 38.9%. At the Sanders results party in Concord, supporters were turned away before polling had even closed. Few were doubting he would win; the question was only by how much.
Sanders later took to the stage at his victory party, wasting no time going straight to the theme that appears to have dominated the election in New Hampshire: campaign finance.
But he warned of the brickbats ahead as the campaign now prepares to move to the national stage. “They are throwing everything at me except the kitchen sink, and I have the feeling that it is coming soon,” he said.But he warned of the brickbats ahead as the campaign now prepares to move to the national stage. “They are throwing everything at me except the kitchen sink, and I have the feeling that it is coming soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, in her concession speech delivered from Southern New Hampshire University in Hooksett, Clinton said: “I know I have some work to do”. Former President Bill Clinton and daughter, Chelsea stood by her side. One the biggest cheers of the night came when he started a sentence: “When we make it to the White House,” but the crowd turned and shook their fists at the press riser when Sanders talked of “sending a message to the media establishment”.
Having called him earlier in the night, Clinton congratulated her rival, and said to his supporters: “Even if they are not supporting me now, I support them.” Foreign policy also made a return to his stump speech, after a period of relative absence during campaigning here that had attracted growing criticism. “As president I will defend this nation, but I will do it responsibly,” he said. “We cannot and should not be the policeman of the world”
“Thank you, New Hampshire,” he concluded. “Now it’s on to Nevada, South Carolina and beyond.”
Trump gave an unusually emotional speech to supporters in a hotel ballroom next to a Best Western hotel by the Manchester airport, starting by thanking his deceased parents as well as his siblings.
He also took a moment to mention Sanders. “Congratulations to Bernie,” he said. “We have to congratulate him, we may not like it. He wants to give away our country, folks. We’re not going to let it happen.”
Trump’s campaign, fueled by a blend of insurgent populism and unprecedented media attention, has turned every rule of politics on its head. Trump’s success in New Hampshire happened despite comparatively weak campaign organization in the state and a penchant for controversial remarks that would have sunk the campaigns of almost any other candidate.
Yet none of the controversies have affected Trump’s standing with his base of disaffected blue-collar white voters, who remain drawn to his pledge to “Make America Great Again”. Many of Trump’s themes were familiar to a New Hampshire primary electorate that strongly supported Pat Buchanan in 1992 and 1996; but Trump added an aura of celebrity and drew in many who were entirely new to the political process.
Related: New Hampshire primary results: track the votes, county by county
What remained less clear as the polls closed was how the pile-up of candidates vying to finish in the top tier behind Trump would perform.
Ohio governor John Kasich came in second place with 16.4% to Trump’s 34.5%, according to AP, with with more than 80% of precincts reporting in the state’s primary.
“Maybe – just maybe – we are turning the page on a dark part of American politics, because tonight the light overcame the darkness,” Kasich told supporters in Concord.
The fight over third place was still too close to call.
Early exit numbers showed a tight race between Texas senator Ted Cruz, Florida senator Marco Rubio and former Florida governor Jeb Bush for the next few spots.
Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor whose last act ahead of the primary was to savage Rubio on the debate stage, seemed all but certain to suspend his campaign in the coming days.
The fight over the 2016 Democratic nomination had been expected to be a wintertime formality for Clinton. But the prospect of sustained campaigns from Sanders had sent the former secretary of state’s campaign into a whirlwind of spin about whether the outsider surge could last.
The call for Sanders came early: with nearly 60% of precincts reporting, he had 59.3% of the votes to Clinton’s 38.9%. At the Sanders results party in Concord, supporters were turned away before polling had even closed. Few were doubting he would win; the question was only by how much.
In her concession speech delivered from Southern New Hampshire University in Hooksett, Clinton said: “I know I have some work to do.” Former president Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea stood by her side.
Clinton, who called Sanders earlier in the evening, congratulated her rival, and said of his supporters: “Even if they are not supporting me now, I support them.”
Senior Sanders staff see this decisive win in New Hampshire as their ticket to the genuine national campaign momentum that has so far proved difficult to achieve.Senior Sanders staff see this decisive win in New Hampshire as their ticket to the genuine national campaign momentum that has so far proved difficult to achieve.
Chief adviser Tad Devine told the the Guardian he is increasingly confident of securing union support to help the campaign in Nevada, scene of their next and perhaps most important showdown with Clinton.Chief adviser Tad Devine told the the Guardian he is increasingly confident of securing union support to help the campaign in Nevada, scene of their next and perhaps most important showdown with Clinton.
“People need to understand something,” said a passionate Devine. “We are a better campaign. We are a better resourced campaign. We have more people on the ground. We are demonstrating that resource superiority by going on television all across this country. We are redeploying hundreds of people who worked on this campaign [in New Hampshire]. We are happy to compete with them in the air and on ground anywhere in this country.”“People need to understand something,” said a passionate Devine. “We are a better campaign. We are a better resourced campaign. We have more people on the ground. We are demonstrating that resource superiority by going on television all across this country. We are redeploying hundreds of people who worked on this campaign [in New Hampshire]. We are happy to compete with them in the air and on ground anywhere in this country.”
Clinton’s campaign had been bracing for a loss, with surrogates telling Granite State voters in a cafe earlier in the day that they were “looking for a miracle”.Clinton’s campaign had been bracing for a loss, with surrogates telling Granite State voters in a cafe earlier in the day that they were “looking for a miracle”.
The former secretary of state’s 2008 comeback win in New Hampshire against Barack Obama added momentum to the prospect of the first female US president. But the state offered no such luck this time.The former secretary of state’s 2008 comeback win in New Hampshire against Barack Obama added momentum to the prospect of the first female US president. But the state offered no such luck this time.
Earlier on Tuesday, Clinton had made a last minute push to win voters at polling stations around New Hampshire. Joined by her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, she stopped by three polling stations in Manchester, Nashua and Derry to shake hands with voters and thank her volunteers.
Greeted by chants of “Madame President” at a middle school in Nashua, Clinton posed for a photo with a woman who said it was on her “bucket list” to shake the hand of the future president.
At a stop in Derry, Clinton ran into the husband of another candidate hoping to be the first female president: Carly Fiorina.
“Give my best to Carly,” Clinton said, as her team escorted her back to the car.
But in the end, it wasn’t a good night for either of the candidates.
Voters across the state said they were gripped by Sanders and Trump, perhaps more for what they represented rather than the nature as tried and tested candidates who could go the distance. From school gymnasiums to post offices in socially liberal cities and gun-toting conservative hamlets, they expressed widespread discontent with both Clinton in particular and the Republican party’s leadership as a whole.Voters across the state said they were gripped by Sanders and Trump, perhaps more for what they represented rather than the nature as tried and tested candidates who could go the distance. From school gymnasiums to post offices in socially liberal cities and gun-toting conservative hamlets, they expressed widespread discontent with both Clinton in particular and the Republican party’s leadership as a whole.
In Rochester – the northern border town where voters have selected the eventual Democratic and Republican nominees in every primary since 1972 – resident Christine Draper said she wanted to vote for Sanders. But the Vermont senator had only convinced Draper, 47, of his credentials in the last week – too late to switch her party affiliation and become a Sanders Democrat.
Draper instead voted for Jeb Bush, even if the establishment figure was at odds with her desire for a change in how politics is conducted. “I don’t believe the political system as it is represents what the people want,” she said.
But for others, Trump stood out from the pack.
Chris Comfort, a 50-year-old retired plumber, had voted for Trump. “I really believe he’s not owned by anyone,” he said. “And that’s a big thing in politics today.”Chris Comfort, a 50-year-old retired plumber, had voted for Trump. “I really believe he’s not owned by anyone,” he said. “And that’s a big thing in politics today.”
Comfort said he also admired Sanders, whom he saw as atypical of the American political system: “He is like Donald Trump in the fact that he’s a man of principle – he doesn’t waver,” he said. “Mr Sanders has always been for what he believes in, and I respect that.”Comfort said he also admired Sanders, whom he saw as atypical of the American political system: “He is like Donald Trump in the fact that he’s a man of principle – he doesn’t waver,” he said. “Mr Sanders has always been for what he believes in, and I respect that.”
Trump’s campaign, fueled by a blend of insurgent populism and unprecedented media attention, turned every rule of politics on its head throughout his campaign. The real estate mogul’s success in New Hampshire happened despite a comparatively weak campaign organization in the Granite State and a penchant for controversial remarks which would have sunk the campaign of almost any other candidate.
Yet none of the comments affected Trump’s standing with his base of disaffected blue-collar white voters, drawn to his pledge to “Make America Great Again” and desire to build a wall on the Mexican border.
The result is that a candidate without a strong field organization whose campaign was partially funded by selling hats, is now a frontrunner for the presidency.
The two parties will now criss-cross the country, with Sanders carrying his momentum to a Democratic caucus in Nevada on 20 February and Trump testing his popularity among southern Republicans in South Carolina’s primary on the same day. The campaigns will then turn their attentions towards Super Tuesday on 1 March, when 14 states will vote – including seven in the south, where Clinton was expected to beat Sanders among African American voters.The two parties will now criss-cross the country, with Sanders carrying his momentum to a Democratic caucus in Nevada on 20 February and Trump testing his popularity among southern Republicans in South Carolina’s primary on the same day. The campaigns will then turn their attentions towards Super Tuesday on 1 March, when 14 states will vote – including seven in the south, where Clinton was expected to beat Sanders among African American voters.
But Joseph Bafumi, an associate professor of government at Dartmouth University who has studied how new voters can be brought into a party’s coalition by outsider candidates, said Trump and Sanders had become “much more viable for the nomination” by meeting expectations in New Hampshire on Tuesday.But Joseph Bafumi, an associate professor of government at Dartmouth University who has studied how new voters can be brought into a party’s coalition by outsider candidates, said Trump and Sanders had become “much more viable for the nomination” by meeting expectations in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
“It’s more of a question of momentum,” he said of Trump, “but it indicates to the rest of the country that his supporters can reliably go out and vote for him.”“It’s more of a question of momentum,” he said of Trump, “but it indicates to the rest of the country that his supporters can reliably go out and vote for him.”