The Story:
On Tuesday February 11, Senator Bernie Sanders (I – Vt) won the Democratic Party’s primary in New Hampshire, putting him at the front of the pack for that party’s nomination for President, and shrinking the size of that pack.
Background:
Sanders also won the New Hampshire Democratic vote four years ago, relegating Hillary Clinton to second place. Clinton, a former Secretary State and First Lady, recovered from the loss and won that party’s nomination for President nonetheless.
The time, likewise, Sanders’ victory in New Hampshire should not be taken to imply that he will receive the nomination. But it does suggest that he will be defeated, if at all, only by a long close-run fight. Which of his rivals, if any, is in a position to wage a Clinton-scale campaign at Sanders’ expense this year? That remains to be seen.
The Thing to Know:
Sanders took 26% of the vote. Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is shaping up as Sanders’ most formidable foe within this field, took 24%. Astonishingly, the former Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, came in fifth with only 8%. Andrew Yang and Michael Bennett both dropped out of the race as the vote count was underway.
