What to know about the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary

Bernie Sanders narrowly won the New Hampsire primary with 26% of the vote. He was followed closely by Pete Buttigieg, who received 24%. Amy Klobuchar surged after finishing 5th in Iowa for a strong 3rd place finish with 20%. Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden finished 4th and 5th, with 9% and 8% of the vote, respectively.  

This result helped solidify Sanders as the frontrunner in the race, and anything short of a victory would have hurt his campaign. However, he only won by a narrow margin, so it is unlikely to dramatically alter his status in the campaign. Warren’s poor showing will likely help Sanders continue to consolidate support with the liberal wing of the Democratic party.

Buttigieg also had a strong night, though real questions remain on how well he can do once the voting moves to more diverse states like Nevada and South Carolina where he struggles a lot more. Had he won, it would have helped him claim the title as the moderate front bearer. As it is right now, he is competing with Klobuchar and Biden for that title.

Klobuchar’s surge, which was likely related to her strong debate performance on Friday, has given her campaign a lifeline, though the same questions that Buttigieg faces apply to her in the next few states.

This result was devastating for Warren’s campaign, which just a few months ago was competing for first place in this state. The state neighbors her own Massachussettes, giving her a home state advantage (something Sanders enjoys as well). Additionally, the demographics of the state, which is 90% white and well educated, match her core support perfectly. If she is unable to perform well here, there is little hope for her elsewhere. Despite this, she plans to stay in the campaign for the long run and still hopes to turn things around. 

This result was not pretty for Biden either, who was leading state polls just a few weeks ago. Unlike Warren, however, the State’s demographics work against him and he still has a decent shot of winning more diverse states like South Carolina. Additionally, he is low on money compared to many of his competitors and this 5th place finish will not help him with donors. 

Andrew Yang, Devall Patrick, and Micheal Bennet dropped out of the race after failing to gain traction in any of the early voting states including Iowa and New Hampshire.

Nine days from now on February 22nd the candidates will face off for the Nevada Caucus.  

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Aaron Lyubansky

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