Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders led much of the way in New Hampshire heading toward victory in the primary race for the Democratic presidential nominee.
That said, there’s a long way to go.
Former mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar remain at second and third, respectively. Buttigieg made some gains against Sanders so final votes pushed him closer to first. Sanders still held on.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former vice president Joe Biden finished at fourth and fifth, respectively.
We saw candidates drop out, too, as Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and tech executive Andrew Yang dropped out.
There was a lot to unpack from the night. Here’s a breakdown of my eight takeaways from the New Hampshire primary.
Bernie Sanders outlasts Elizabeth Warren in home field battle
It’s not a surprise that Sanders snagged the lead in the New Hampshire race. He’s the senator for Vermont, which is right next door. But Warren’s showing doesn’t look good. She finished on the cusp of double digits and she’s from a neighboring state in Massachusetts. She will continue to struggle to defeat Sanders since they both represent the progressive side of the Democratic party. But a low performance like this doesn’t look good, especially as the race shifts to South Carolina and Nevada, where Biden is expected to perform well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Warren drop out soon.
Amy Klobuchar is an underdog to watch
Leading up to the New Hampshire primary, pundits and critics suggested Klobuchar could make a run in New Hampshire. She did just that. She finished third place on the night. She took second and first in several counties across the state. Now, she’ll have to expand her team and move onto these next states — something she might not have expected. We’ll see how far she’ll go. But after strong debate performances and now the New Hampshire success, Klobuchar can carve a path forward.
Pete Buttigieg is now a main character
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is here to stay. He did really well in Iowa and placed second in New Hampshire. He might have seemed like a background character for many months but now he’s been upgraded to the main cast and a series regular. Expect him to stay around until the finale. His fate? Unclear. But he will impact the end of the race.
There was not too much drama so it wasn’t great TV
There wasn’t a lot of drama on Tuesday night. Sanders was expected to win the night and he was well on his way to doing just that. The Klobuchar surge and the Buttigieg bump look good for them. But otherwise, none of the fringe candidates made their mark.
Joe Biden could be in trouble but it sets up a fun comeback story
Biden is still struggling to make an impact. He didn’t finish well in Iowa and now he struggled to crack double digits in New Hampshire. Forecasters expect him to do well in South Carolina and Nevada since he polls well among black and Latino voters. But this isn’t a good sign when you’re a former vice president and you’re barely noticeable on the board — especially when you’re making the case that you’re the one who can defeat President Donald Trump.
There were some TV-like twists with candidates dropping out
Two Democratic candidates dropped out of the race before the results were through. Yang and Bennet suspended their campaigns, signaling a turning point in the race. Bennet ran a quiet campaign and hoped to do well in New Hampshire. Yang was on the debate stage and had become a major candidate, especially on social media. But the voters weren’t there, and now the two will move on. Other candidates on the bubble: Tom Steyer, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who all had poor showings in New Hampshire.
Money will say a lot, setting up future storylines
New Hampshire and Iowa are only two states but they can have tremendous impact on how donors dish out money for these candidates. Will voters want to give Biden an extra $5 when he can barely poll in the double digits? Does this change how voters perceive Warren? And without money and financial backing, can these candidates continue to succeed? It’ll be tough for them to extend themselves too far. Warren and Biden should especially worry about how far they can stretch their campaign finances, especially if they’re not doing well already in the campaign.
There’s still a lot to go so don’t tune out yet
This is only New Hampshire. We still have major moments on the way. Nevada and South Carolina will play a role. And Super Tuesday isn’t until March. Just remember — March is the key month. I’m still expecting one or two candidates to drop out between now and Super Tuesday. There’s still much more to go. We still haven’t seen how former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg factors into the race, too. So prepare yourself for a long race. The 2020 election is just getting started.