New Hampshire primaries: Trump, Sanders win by wide margins

February 11: Editor’s Insight: Big questions from the New Hampshire primaries

4.45PM UPDATE (Final result)
The New Hampshire primaries may have claimed their first campaign casualty.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who ran fifth in the Republican race ahead of Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson, says he may still contest the next primary, due in South Carolina on February 20.

He said after congratulating winner Donald Trump: "Winning's never easy" but "the race will continue" to South Carolina and beyond.

But Mr Christie added he will make a final decision tomorrow about how we "move from here." He and his wife were going home instead of to South Carolina.

Final result: With all 300 precincts counted, Mr Trump has 34.5% (10 delegates) of the Republican vote ahead of Mr Kasich with 16.4% (3 delegates), Mr Cruz 11.5% (2 delegates), Mr Bush 11.2% (2 delegates). Marco Rubio 10.5%, Chris Christie 7.6%, Carly Fiorina 4.2% and Ben Carson 2.3% won no delegates.

In the Democratic race, Mr Sanders beat Hillary Clinton by a margin of 59.6% (13 delegates) to 38.5% (9 delegates).

The real race for the Republicans now is among the three main rivals to Donald Trump, who cruised to victory with more than a third of the votes and some 16 points ahead of the runner-up.

Ohio governor John Kasich confirmed his position as Mr Trump's chief opponent, though Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz were neck-and-neck, with Marco Rubio also in the tight bunch.

Bernie Sanders has already celebrated his huge win over Hillary Clinton with a half-hour speech, having won across-the board support.

Exit polls analysis shows he won all population groups except the over-65s, university graduates and families on incomes above $US200,000. 

Latest count: With 203 of 300 precincts counted, Mr Trump has 34.3% of the Republican vote ahead of Mr Kasich with 16.4%, Mr Cruz 11.5% and Mr Bush 11.2%.

In the Democratic race, Mr Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by a margin of 59.7% to 38.6% after 208 precincts.

3.30PM UPDATE
The victory and concession speeches are already being given in the New Hampshire primaries, won by respectively by Donald Trump for the Republicans and Bernie Sanders for the Democrats.

That result reflects the pre-election polls and comes as no surprise.

However, the biggest winner on the night must be John Kasich, who cements his place as Mr Trump's leading opponent in a field of three others, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. 

The fifth-placed candidate, Chris Christie, faces an uncertain future and may be the next campaign casualty.

Despite it being a concession speech, Hillary Clinton continued her campaigning as she can only do better in the next round of primaries, where she will draw on support from minority voters in southern and western states.

She listed her policy proposals as: tackling unfair trade, establishing paid sick leave, and more. She adds that the country has to "break through the barriers of bigotry."

"A president has to do all parts of the job for all Americans to make sure nothing holds you back," she says.

Latest count: With 99 of 300 precincts counted, Mr Trump has 33.9% of the Republican vote ahead of Mr Kasich with 15.6%, Mr Cruz 11.8% and Mr Bush 11.5%.

In the Democratic race, Mr Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by a margin of 58.4% to 39.7% after 106 precincts.

 3.00PM UPDATE

Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have been projected winners of the New Hampshire primaries although only a quarter of the votes have been counted.

There is a close fight for second place on the Republican side, with John Kasich still in second place but closely followed by Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in a bunch.

Chris Christie trails that group, followed by Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson.

On the Democratic side, Mr Sanders has about a 20-point lead over Hillary Clinton, a result that is in line with opinion polls ahead of the voting.

With 74 of 300 precincts counted, Mr Trump has 34.7% of the Republican vote ahead of Mr Kasich with 15.5%, Mr Cruz 11.8% and Mr Bush 11.4%.

In the Democratic race, Mr Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by a margin of 57.8% to 40.2% after 76 precincts.

2.45PM UPDATE
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are leading the New Hampshire primaries with large margins over their rivals in early polling.

With 53 of 300 precincts counted, Mr Trump has 34.5% of the Republican vote ahead of John Kasich with 15.9%, Ted Cruz 11.6% and Jeb Bush 11.5%.

In the Democratic race, Mr Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by a margin of 58.1% to 39.9% after 58 precincts.

Reaction to Trump win
The Club for Growth – a pro-business, free market conservative group that has long feuded with Mr Trump – is not pleased with his victory.
“Tonight, a candidate who supports high taxes, government-run health care, bailouts and the abuse of eminent domain won a Republican primary,” Club for Growth president David McIntosh says in a statement.

“Donald Trump’s current attempts to feign conservatism are at sharp odds with his years of emphatic support for liberal policies and politicians."

Main challengers to Trump
A third or fourth place finish will be good news for Mr Bush, particularly since polling had him in third place as well. He still has plenty of financial backing and that will help propel him through a few more primaries.

But things aren't looking as good for New Jersey governor Chris Christie. He looks like finishing well back and could well be the next campaign casualty with five ahead of him.

2.15PM UPDATE:
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are leading the New Hampshire primaries with large margins over their rivals in early polling.

With 37 of 300 precincts counted, Mr Trump has 34.2% of the Republican vote ahead of John Kasich with 15.9%, Jeb Bush 11.9% and Ted Cruz 11.2%

In the Democratic race, Mr Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by a margin of 56.2% to 41.7% after 38 precincts.

Mr Sanders is already proclaiming victory:
In an email, he says: "I am about to head downstairs to address an enthusiastic group of supporters and volunteers. But what I am about to tell you is important: There are 14 primaries and caucuses over the next three weeks, and you can be certain that our victory tonight will prompt a desperate response from the nation’s financial elite and the political establishment who want to stop our campaign to transform America."

EARLIER
Voting is under way in the New Hampshire primary where the outcome will only have a peripheral effect on presidential nomination campaign.

Polling stations opened at midnight local time in three small communities, delivering a triple dead heat in the Republican presidential race while Bernie Sanders opened an early lead against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.

Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Donald Trump have nine votes each from the early-voting towns – Dixville Notch, Hart’s Location and Millsfield.

Mr. Sanders has 17 votes to Mrs. Clinton’s nine.

The three communities are hardly representative of the state or predictive of how it will vote but holding their elections at midnight continues a tradition that dates to the 1940s.

Normal voting is from 7am-7pm (closes at 1pm NZ time).

Polling shows the expected winner on the Republican side will be Donald Trump, while the main battle is for second place.

Marco Rubio’s stumble in the final Republican presidential debate will probably keep Jeb Bush, Mr Kasich and New Jersey governor Chris Christie in the race at least until South Carolina’s primary on February 20.

The Iowa caucuses winner, Mr Cruz, will also carry on.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will remain locked in a protracted fight regardless of the outcome.

Mr Sanders leads in the New Hampshire polls and the liberal-leaning northeast state has similar characteristics to neighbouring Vermont, which he represents in the Senate.

Mrs Clinton’s razor-thin win in Iowa will allow her to leave behind any setback in New Hampshire as the campaign moves to the southern state of South Carolina and west to Nevada.

Here she will have the support of large minority groups.

But the race to watch will remain among the Republicans.

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