Pete Buttigieg finishes second in New Hampshire, Amy Klobuchar third.
Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire’s crucial Democratic primary on Tuesday, beating moderate rivals Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar in the race to challenge President Donald Trump for the White House, US networks projected.
With nearly 90 per cent of ballots counted, Sanders – the flag-bearer for the party’s progressive wing – had 26 percent of votes, with Indiana ex-mayor Buttigieg narrowly trailing on 24.3 percent and fellow Midwesterner Klobuchar on 19.9 percent.
“This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump,” Sanders told cheering supporters after NBC and ABC called the result in his favoor.
Biden, the former vice president who was once the front-runner in the Democratic race, limped to his second consecutive poor finish after placing fourth in Iowa. He is certain to face growing questions about his campaign’s viability and his ability to consolidate moderate support against a surging Buttigieg and Klobuchar.
Biden fared poorly in two previous runs for president before winning election in 2008 as President Barack Obama’s No. 2. He hopes to stay afloat this time until the Feb. 29 contest in South Carolina and a series of contests in other Southern states on Super Tuesday on March 3, where his support among African Americans will be a strength.
Without strong showings there, his race could be over.
“It ain’t over, man. It’s just getting started,” Biden told supporters in South Carolina.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a progressive ally of Sanders who was considered a favorite in New Hampshire three months ago, also had a bad night. She finished fourth, and also will face questions about her continued viability.
The results began to thin the field of Democrats seeking the right to take on Trump in the Nov. 3 election, with businessman Andrew Yang and Senator Michael Bennet dropping out after it became clear they would finish well out of the running. CBS News reported that Deval Patrick, the former Massachusetts governor, would drop out on Wednesday.
