Bernie Sanders Emerges As Winner In Tight N.H. Democratic Primary

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic primary in New Hampshire Tuesday night, emerging from the crowded pack and defeating rival former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in a tight fight to the finish line.

With close to 84% of precincts reporting, Sanders has secured 25.9% of the vote, according to The Associated Press, which called the race at 11:43 p.m.

The win gives Sanders a leg up over Buttigieg, who had surged in the polls in New Hampshire in recent days. The two had come out of Iowa neck and neck, and for much of the N.H. primary, the margin between the rivals remained slim.

Sanders swept aside fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who had hoped her status as a senator of a neighboring state would give her an edge in New Hampshire.

In the last presidential primary, in 2016, Sanders won New Hampshire with 60% of the vote.

Sanders will now likely shift his focus to beating former Vice President Joe Biden. The next nominating contests are in Nevada, where recent polling shows the pair locked in a dead heat, and South Carolina, where Biden has long held a strong lead.