Sanders beats two moderate democrats in New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, February 12

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Bernie Sanders narrowly won New Hampshire’s Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, solidifying his front-runner status in the race to take on Donald Trump and dealing a setback to moderate rival Joe Biden, who finished a disappointing fifth.

Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who edged out Sanders in last week’s messy Iowa caucuses, came in a close second after splitting much of the centrist vote with Senator Amy Klobuchar. Sanders, a progressive senator from neighbouring Vermont, prevailed after fending off attacks from rivals who warned his left-wing views would lead the party to defeat in the November 3 election against Republican President Donald Trump. “This victory here is the beginning of the end for Trump,” Sanders told supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire.

In a sign of the growing rivalry between Sanders, the 78-year-old self-professed democratic socialist, and Buttigieg, a 38-year-old moderate, Sanders’ supporters booed and chanted “Wall Street Pete!” when Buttigieg’s post-primary speech was shown on screens. It was also a good night for Klobuchar, who rode a wave of momentum from a strong debate on Friday into third-place finish. Senator Elizabeth Warren, considered a favorite in New Hampshire until a few months ago, came fourth, casting further doubt over her viability as the progressive alternative to Sanders. The two progressive senators have vowed to tax the rich, eliminate private health insurance in favour of universal state-run healthcare and take on Wall Street and corporate corruption. But their moderate rivals argued their sweeping agenda would alienate swing and independent voters needed to win back the White House. — Reuters

Now, all eyes on nevada causcuses

Up next will be the February 22 caucuses in Nevada, which has a large Latino population, and the February 29 primary in South Carolina, which has a large African-American population.

Trump defeats William Weld

On the Republican side, Trump easily won the state’s presidential primary, defeating rival William Weld, the former governor of neighbouring Massachusetts.

NO CLEAR ANSWERS

The results provided no clear answers for Democrats trying to decide whether their best choice to challenge Trump would be a moderate like Buttigieg, Klobuchar or Biden, or Sanders and Warren.

NOT A LANDSLIDE

For Sanders, who won NH in 2016 with 60 per cent, the results offered new momentum, but not the overwhelming win he had hoped for. Exit polls showed he only won about two-thirds of his 2016 primary supporters.