Chris Christie Suspending Campaign

But if lower-polling Republican candidates – governors John Kasich, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio – drop out of the race, where their supporters turn their votes will be key to determining the nomination, said Eric Heberlig, a political science professor at UNC Charlotte.

Here’s what to watch for Wednesday, as the race heads south and west – perhaps with a smaller cast of characters. Candidate Bill Clinton masterfully framed his second-place finish in New Hampshire in 1992 as a big victory for the “Comeback Kid”.

For the other candidates, it will require finishing in the top five in Tuesday night’s New Hampshire primary, or in the top five in an average of national and SC polls.

Christie staked his hopes on New Hampshire, but he finished sixth on Tuesday night with just 7% of the vote. Those two states offer candidates their first opportunities to compete for a large and diverse electorate. But first, Sanders heads to New York City, where he plans to have breakfast with the Rev. Al Sharpton. While Clinton was able to edge out a victory by a narrow margin, Sanders is projected to easily take New Hampshire. By February 8, he had made 190 stops in New Hampshire, more than any other candidate, according to NECN’s candidate tracker.

“There’s no reason to go to sit in a hotel in SC to do that”, he said, adding that he and his family actually needed a “fresh set of clothes”.

Ben Carson will not be attending his New Hampshire election party tonight, will fly to SC instead, campaign says. The Republicans who hang in there will try to snag endorsements from those who bug out. CNN reported Wednesday morning that Christie is “a realist” who realized that he probably wouldn’t qualify for the main stage in Saturday’s GOP debate, and “also realized that the fundraising was going to dry up”. Republicans are wondering if South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will pick a favorite.