Bernie Sanders sweeps aside Hillary Clinton in Democrats’ New Hampshire primary
Feb 9, 2016, 6:15 PM | Updated: 7:43 pm
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a campaign stop at the Pinkerton Academy Stockbridge Theatre, Monday, Feb. 8, 2016, in Derry, N.H. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed a big win Tuesday over fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.
“Together we are going to create an economy that works for everyone, not just the 1 percent,” Sanders said when speaking to supporters after his win was announced.
Sanders had held a double-digit advantage over Clinton in his neighboring state for weeks.
“We’re running a very radical campaign because we are telling the American people the truth and that’s something that is not often told in the political world,” Sanders said Monday.
New Hampshire was considered friendly territory for the Vermont senator. It was also seen as a must-win if he’s to have a chance of staying competitive with Clinton before the race moves to more diverse states that are seen as more hospitable to the former secretary of state.
Despite the expectations of a loss in New Hampshire, Clinton campaigned aggressively in the state. Amid her rallies and town hall events, she knocked on voters’ doors and made surprise visits to local coffee shops and restaurants.
“I am thrilled to be here the day before the first in the nation primary to make my final push to convince as many Granite staters as possible to come out and vote for me,” Clinton said during a stop in Manchester Monday.
Behind Clinton’s upbeat demeanor, however, are growing concerns within her campaign about her standing with young people, who are flocking to Sanders. Some Clinton supporters also fear she isn’t doing as well with female voters as she should be, a concern that was magnified after high-profile women backing her campaign made eyebrow-raising comments that appeared to disparage women supporting her rival.
Sanders lost to Clinton in the Iowa caucus by a razor-thin margin.
The tight race between Clinton and Sanders means they split Iowa’s 44 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where the party’s nominee will eventually be chosen in late July.
However, Clinton already had a strong lead among superdelegates, who can support any candidate, no matter whom voters choose in the primaries and caucuses. Before Iowa, 361 said they would support Clinton at the convention. Only eight backed Sanders.
Unlike Arizona, New Hampshire’s independent voters, officially known as “undeclared,” can vote in either primary, which made them a key group on Tuesday. They make up 44 percent of registered voters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
