People cheer as Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks during his caucus-night event at the at the Holiday Inn, Feb. 1, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders has handily defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire Democratic nomination. With only 12% of precincts reporting, Sanders led Clinton by 14% and carried almost all demographics.
Worth noting, Clinton won only those who make $250,000 or more and the 65-plus age demographic. Sen. Sanders carried the remaining demographic groups.
“Thank you New Hampshire,” Sanders told a roaring crowd. “Let me take this opportunity to thank the many, many thousands of volunteers who worked so tirelessly in the Granite State. And we won because of your energy.”
The number one attribute for Democratic primary voters was honesty and trustworthiness, with more than three in 10 voters in preliminary exit poll results. Sanders stomped Clinton with these voters 93% to 5%. The second attribute was a tie between “someone who cares about people like me” and experience, at just more than a quarter each. Unlike the Republicans, only about two in 10 Democrats decided late.
“Together we have sent a message that will echo from Wall Street to Washington, from Maine to Washington,” Sanders said. “And that is the country belongs to all the people and not just the super PACs.”
However, as the Clinton campaign was quick to point out, with the contest moving toward the South where minority voters make up a much larger share of the electorate, it’ll be a heavy lift for the socialist. Clinton leads nationwide and among Latinos and black voters, which Sanders hopes to change starting with a meeting with the Rev. Al Sharpton Wednesday morning.
Sanders touted the “record turnout” and slammed the Republican Party. However, as a fact-check, Republican turnout once again appears to have handily beaten Democratic turnout by at least 30,000 votes. Independents voted disproportionately with Republicans and the party voted at a higher rate. According to PPD’s Party Affiliation, Ideology by U.S. State Map, which was just released this week, the Republican Party has an ID edge of 8.8%.
