New Hampshire victory for Trump, Sanders

New Hampshire corroborated Iowa’s choice of Cruz as the strongest Christian-right candidate, dropping Ben Carson to dead last and also keeping Carly Fiorina in the cellar. One unexpected third place is fine to spin a little, but he needed to do better in New Hampshire to really make it stick. But beating a Rubio weakened by Saturday’s debate no longer looks like the win it did after Iowa when the Florida senator seemed to have the wind at his back, poised to become the establishment alternative to Trump and Ted Cruz, the Iowa victor.

“We very easily could be looking at May – or the convention” in July before there’s a “functional nominee”, Rubio campaign manager Terry Sullivan said in a brief interview with The Associated Press.

Cruz highlighted the “significant glaring differences” between the two on health care, stressing that Trump was keen on “adopting Bernie Sanders-style socialized medicine”, a reference to the independent senator challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

Clinton’s campaign said in a recent fundraising email that she fell short of the Sanders tally “by more than $5 million in January”. SC will tell us whether Sanders’ momentum can overcome Clinton’s organizational muscle and loyalty from African-American and Latino Democrats.

Jeffries said that Sanders has chosen to focus on black issues now that he’s running for president in the “twilight” of his political career.

Are we ready for Bernie Sanders vs. Donald Trump?

Mr Sanders, meanwhile, met the Rev Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, at a Harlem restaurant.

But despite the demographic similarities between SC and Iowa that favor Mr. Cruz, Mr. Trump will find it easier to turn out supporters in the state’s primary compared with the Iowa caucuses, where his ground game failed him. A week later, on February 27, Democrats in SC will choose between Clinton and Sanders, while the Republicans head to Nevada.

“We love God, we’re gun owners, military veterans and we’re fed up with what’s happening in Washington”, he said.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, for whom a strong New Hampshire showing was critical, signaled the end of the line might be near after he finished sixth. Ten of the 13 states holding “Super Tuesday” contests have minimum thresholds to quality for delegates.

Blowout victories by two candidates who remain long shots for their party nominations are bad for the Granite State. Even with Sanders’s New Hampshire win, USA political analysts still say Clinton will eventually be the Democratic candidate in next November’s national election to pick the successor to President Barack Obama, who leaves office next January. The key second place spot in the Republican contest went to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who garnered 16% of the vote, as of early Wednesday. With a minimal SC operation compared to his rivals, Mr Kasich must work quickly.

Though he was placed fourth on Tuesday, Mr Bush was hoping that Mr Rubio’s slump would forestall his own removal from the race.