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Trump and Sanders win in New Hampshire

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has won New Hampshire’s Republican presidential nominating contest, and Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders has beaten Hillary Clinton.

Feb 10, 2016, updated Feb 10, 2016
Donald Trump campaigns in Manchester, New Hampshire. PA image

Donald Trump campaigns in Manchester, New Hampshire. PA image

Both outcomes would have been nearly unthinkable not long ago.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, defeated Clinton, the former secretary of state and first lady once seen as the all-but-certain Democratic nominee.

While Clinton remains the favourite in the national race for the Democratic nomination, the win by Sanders could be a springboard into a competitive primary campaign.

For Trump, the brash real estate magnate and television personality who has never run for public office, the win was an important rebound after his loss to Texas Senator Ted Cruz in last week’s Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest.

Trump has led national polls for months and the New Hampshire win reinforces his position as front-runner, proving his unorthodox, populist campaign can win primaries.

With Trump’s victory, attention shifted to the runners-up in the race. Several candidates needed a strong finish to ensure the survival of their campaigns.

Marco Rubio, a 44-year-old Florida senator, hoped to build on a solid third-place finish in Iowa and brush off a rocky performance in last weekend’s Republican debate.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Ohio Governor John Kasich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have spent most of their time in the state in recent weeks and needed to show voters, as well as crucial financial donors, that they’re viable candidates.

If Rubio and the governors finish in a pack, it’s likely to frustrate Republican Party elites who are eager to coalesce around a single more mainstream candidate to challenge Trump and Cruz, whom they believe could be unelectable in the November general election.

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