Donald Trump: ‘I was so happy’

That was off the pace of the five GOP candidates polling better than Christie: Jeb Bush (31 percent voter contact), John Kasich (26 percent), Ted Cruz (22 percent), Rubio (22 percent) and Trump (19 percent).

The sentiment was apparent when Christie wistfully called his time here on the campaign trail “the most extraordinary experience of my life” in his final New Hampshire town hall late Monday. The spokesman for Florida Sen.

But it was Trump, the billionaire businessman, who launched the harshest attacks – not just against Texas Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders is from neighboring Vermont and out-raised the former secretary of state last month by $5 million. Up until his shaky debate performance Saturday night he was seen as the candidate most likely to unify the GOP’s traditional conservatives and emerge as the “establishment” candidate. The senator finished second to Clinton in the leadoff Iowa caucuses by the narrowest of margins. NPR brought up Carson, who it wrote “may look past a poor showing here to pin his hopes on SC”. Those candidates who fare poorly could see donations dry up and face pressure to withdraw from the race. Of course, that would be the end of Kasich or Bush.

“My thought originally was: How am I going to take momentum away from Donald Trump?”. And evangelical voters, who fueled Cruz, are not a factor.

Cruz, the Iowa victor, didn’t get a bump in New Hampshire, even as he tried to make a play for libertarians who had previously supported Rand Paul. Cruz and Bush both get at least two, with six still to be allocated.

CBS News released the criteria for the next Republican presidential debate on Tuesday, indicating that several candidates will need strong showings in tonight’s New Hampshire primary to qualify.

On Sunday, Rubio defended his repeated statements about Obama.

A tracking poll for a Boston television station and the University of MA suggested Rubio’s growth has slowed. In New Hampshire, it took him until Monday to participate in voter question-and-answer sessions in intimate settings, the kinds of events that are a staple here.

For the remaining presidential hopefuls, the New Hampshire primary will prove pivotal to inclusion in the debate.

New Hampshire is a moderate state, not a traditionally receptive place for Cruz’s evangelical political style.

New Hampshire is a big libertarian state, which is something Cruz knows well. “That’s bad”, Trump said. With a renewed sense of urgency, he made more campaign stops Monday than anyone else (seven) as a couple of hundred volunteers who traveled from Florida confronted the weather to reach voters. There’s evidence in recent days among Clinton backers that the former first lady isn’t securing the levels of support among women – particularly young women – that her campaign had expected, considering the historic nature of her candidacy.