New Hampshire Primary. Who won over the voters?

The New Hampshire Primary on the 11th of February had a few surprising outcomes with the sudden rise of a couple of unexpected candidates. The primary produced some Democratic winners and losers. Who are they?

First, what’s a Primary?

On the road to the party nomination, all candidates are subject to primaries and caucuses. Primaries operate as elections where voters select their preferred candidate. The votes are counted and delegates are awarded to candidates who have the largest shares of the vote. Primaries are either open (public and non-partisan) or closed (registered party members only). New Hampshire is considered semi-closed, in that only registered Democrats and independents can vote in this primary.

Caucuses are gatherings of registered party members to select candidates and elect delegates rather than a vote. The caucus is the older system of the two in the United States, but most states today have adopted primaries. Only six states continue to use caucuses (Iowa, Maine, Kansas, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming).

How are Democrat delegates assigned?

Unlike the Republican Party, which has a winner-takes-all approach in gaining delegates, the Democrats use a proportional representation method. Candidates must receive at least 15% of the vote to begin earning delegates. If a state carries 10 delegates and Candidate A gets 50% of the vote, they get 5 delegates. Candidate B with 30% of the vote gets 3 delegates, and Candidate C with 20% gets 2 delegates.

Who won?

Bernie Sanders came out on top in New Hampshire

Bernie Sanders – 9 delegates

The Vermont senator just scraped into the top of the vote over Pete Buttigieg. He has won 25.7% of the vote.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, is running his campaign for “economic, racial, social, and environmental justice for all” and is a proponent for a Medicare for All, single-payer, national health insurance program. This proposed system is similar to those in Europe (particularly the UK’s NHS) in that it would be free at point of service.

Bernie Sanders campaign website: https://berniesanders.com/?nosplash.

Pete Buttigieg has kept up his momentum from his success at the Iowa caucus

Pete Buttigieg – 9 delegates

Not too far behind Sanders is former South Bend mayor, Pete Buttigieg. Winning 24.4% of the vote, he earned 9 delegates.

On the political spectrum, Buttigieg is a moderate and supports democratic capitalism (a combination of capitalism and a strong welfare state). On healthcare, he intends a Medicare For All Who Want It scheme and make healthcare more affordable. Another key issue is climate change. Buttigieg wants to establish a “clean economy” through endorsement of cleaner technologies and targets for net-zero emissions by 2050.

Pete Buttigieg campaign website: https://peteforamerica.com/meet-pete/.

Amy Klobuchar had been a surprise victor, picking up 6 delegates

Amy Klobuchar – 6 delegates

A bit of a surprise, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar overperformed and came third, winning 19.8% of the vote. The result has earned her 6 delegates.

Like Buttigieg, Klobuchar is a political moderate and a pragmatist. She already has a plan for her first 100 days should she win the presidency, which includes “an ambitious, optimistic” healthcare plan, “economic justice” and mitigation of the climate crisis. She aims to implement a universal healthcare scheme and reduce the cost of prescriptions. On economy, Klobuchar intends to implement paid family leave and raising the minimum wage.

Amy Klobuchar campaign website: https://amyklobuchar.com/.

Who Lost Out?

Has Joe Biden ran out of steam already?

Joe Biden – 0 delegates

The former front-runner underperformed in New Hampshire, coming in fifth place having earned 8.4% of the vote. With less than 15% of the vote, he was unable to get any delegates. He claimed “it ain’t over, man” to supporters in South Carolina, stating that 99% of African Americans and Latinos were yet to vote. Biden may be currently polling well among the African American community for now, but his continued low results in caucuses and primaries may mean that his presidential bid may be over soon.

Elizabeth Warren was another lead polled candidate who underperformed

Elizabeth Warren – 0 delegates

Senator Warren came in fourth place with 9.2% of the vote and therefore no delegates. Her base – left-wing, college-educated, and women – have flocked to other candidates. Sanders picked up the left-wing group, while women and the college-educated have turned to Buttigieg and Klobuchar. Despite her poor performance in New Hampshire, Warren has not yet given up and says she’s “in it for the long haul.”

Andrew Yang’s ‘Yang Gang’ wasn’t enough to pick up votes in New Hampshire

Andrew Yang – Drop Out

The Democrat ‘meme-lord’ and ‘internet candidate’ had a very poor performance in the primary, only getting 2.8% of the vote. Claiming himself as the “math guy,” Yang stated that he could not continue with such low numbers, so he suspended his campaign. With his internet following, known as the ‘Yang Gang,’ he surprisingly outlasted prominent senators and politicians, including Senator Kamala Harris and Beto O’Rourke.

Question Mark

Michael Bloomberg has his own strategy

Michael Bloomberg – Did Not Attend

Bloomberg may not have been on the ballots in New Hampshire, but that hasn’t hampered his national polling and he may still turn out to be one of the winners in the Democratic race. Currently, he is polling in third position nationally, behind Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.

Bloomberg’s strategy seems placed in distancing himself from the main race, where moderate candidates fail to unite against Bernie Sanders. His bet is that none of the moderates break from the race, so that he can overtake them for the nomination. At the moment, Bloomberg is spending masses of money into campaigning, spending about $350 million (he’s got $61.8 billion in net worth) on advertising online and TV spots, including one at the Superbowl where commercial spots can cost on average $5 million. Based on his polling position, it’s a strategy that’s working so far.

What about his odds facing Trump, if he got the nomination? Some Democrats are not entirely against the idea of having Bloomberg as the nominee, believing that his wealth may target Trump’s personal insecurity and push him over the edge.

Of course, Bloomberg has his weak points. Firstly is based on race. In 2015, when asked about stop-and-frisk, Bloomberg linked crime to minorities living in poor neighborhoods. He is quoted as saying “we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods, yes, that’s true. Why do we do it? Because that is where all the crime is.” That should have been a blow to his support among African Americans, but his support from the group jumped from 7% to 22%. Bloomberg’s second issue is his personality, namely his lack of charisma which is perhaps why he has avoided debates to avoid harming his image.

However, Bloomberg is still one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.