Sanders declares as a Democrat in New Hampshire primary

One is that even though he filled out the form saying, “I am a registered member of the [Democratic] party”, he really isn’t, because Vermont doesn’t register voters by political party. Download NHPR’s new State of Democracy app and stay connected to the stories that matter from the 2016 campaign trail. In the Senate, he caucuses with the Democrats and is now a ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee. “I am a Democrat now”.

“That’s it”, Gardner said after Sanders signed the official paperwork. “We have the support of the state party, the national party…and I don’t think we’d see a scenario where he would not get on the ballot”, Sanders New Hampshire State Director Julia Barnes told ABC News.

Bernie Sanders is scheduled to file for the New Hampshire primary at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

That prompted a sharp response from the Clinton campaign, with spokesman Josh Schwerin accusing Sanders and his strategists of engaging “in the type of personal attacks that they previously said he wouldn’t do”.

One key player who’s been less forthcoming, however, is Secretary of State Bill Gardner – the man who will have a first pass at approving or denying Sanders’ registration.

New Hampshire law says he has to be a registered Democrat, and he’s not.

In preparation for any potential issues Thursday, the New Hampshire Democratic Party State Chairman Raymond Buckley said he plans to accompany Sanders to the state capitol for the filing and will be bringing with him a stack of legal documents in case he needs to lobby on behalf of Sanders.

With so much riding on his getting on the New Hampshire ballot, it’s unlikely Gardner will unilaterally act to keep Sanders off the ballot.

Sanders says he’ll run as a Democrat in future elections. After voting they can declare themselves a member of another political party, or unaffiliated. Outside the New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord, before an lively and large crowd, the Vermont Senator reiterated lots of his priority issues for the marketing campaign.

A wild card remains in how Sanders chooses to address Clinton’s use of a private email system while serving as secretary of state. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) fielded a colorful question from someone crammed into the secretary of state’s office here: “You ready to kick a few Republican butt, Bernie?”