Bernie Sanders wins New Hampshire Democratic primary; Buttigieg, Klobuchar are top moderate candidates

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) claimed unchallenged control of the Democratic Party's left wing with a victory in the New Hampshire presidential primary Tuesday as two moderates, Pete Butti­gieg and a newly surging Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), vied for the opposition mantle in a campaign that has been remade over the past eight days.

Sanders and Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Ind., marked their second straight strong showings — they essentially tied in last week's Iowa caucuses, with Sanders carrying the popular vote and Buttigieg winning a slight edge in delegates.

"Let me say tonight that this victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump," Sanders told his supporters. He praised his opponents, including Buttigieg, but soon alluded to criticisms of the former mayor and his wealthy donors. "At this point in the campaign, we are taking on billionaires, and we are taking on candidates funded by billionaires," he said.

After his second-place finish, Buttigieg praised Sanders but also referred to his polarizing movement, suggesting that it spurned anyone who didn't agree "100 percent of the time."

Democratic presidential candidates spoke to supporters after polls closed in the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11.
"A campaign that some said shouldn't be here at all has shown that we are here to stay," Buttigieg told supporters, who cheered "President Pete! President Pete!"

Klobuchar's third-place finish was powered by a strong debate performance that persuaded late-deciding voters to look her way. It represented a remarkable turnabout for a candidate who placed fifth in the caucuses in the state next door to her own. In joyous remarks before a crowd in Concord, she made clear that without Tuesday's results, she would have found it difficult to continue to the next contests, on Feb. 22 in Nevada and one week later in South Carolina.