New Hampshire primary results: Bernie Sanders wins vote as Democratic field thins out

New Hampshire Rally: Elizabeth Warren battles to stay in the Democratic race

Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primaries, declaring victory in the first-in-the-nation vote and paving an even clearer potential path to securing the nomination and moving onto the general election against Donald Trump.

After essentially tying in Iowa last week, the strong showings from Pete Buttigieg, who appeared to place in second, and Mr Sanders cemented their status at the top of the 2020 Democratic field.

And an unexpectedly strong performance from Amy Klobuchar gave her a stronger path out of New Hampshire as the contest moves on to the gantlet of state-by-state primary contests that lie ahead.

The strength of Mr Sanders and Mr Buttigieg was matched in reverse by the struggle of former Vice President Joe Biden, who spent most of the last year as the Democrats’ national front-runner but fled New Hampshire hours before polls closed anticipating a bad finish.

With final returns ahead, he was competing for fourth place with Elizabeth Warren, a disappointing turn for the senator from neighbouring Massachusetts.

Neither Mr Biden nor Ms Warren were on track to receive any delegates.

“So many of you chose to meet a new era of challenge with a new generation of leadership,” Mr Buttigieg said.

Meanwhile, Mr Sanders boasted of “a movement from coast to coast ... to defeat the most dangerous president."

Meanwhile, two candidates dropped out amid the crucial New Hampshire vote.

Michael Bennet, a Colorado Senator and former 2020 hopeful, told supporters on Tuesday: “I love you, New Hampshire. Whether you knew it or not, we were having a great time together.”

He added: “I think it’s fitting for us to end the campaign tonight.”

The announcement came just after Andrew Yang, another low-polling Democratic presidential candidate, announced he was suspending his campaign amid the first-in-the-nation primary.

“They’ve decided tonight, and tonight is not going to be our night, but let me say this to New Hampshire: You may see me once again, so thank you”, Mr Bennet said.

Mr Yang, who announced the suspension of his candidacy just moments before Mr Bennet, was the last candidate of colour to qualify for the debate stages, effectively leaving a still-crowded field of all-white candidates vying for the Democratic nomination.

Additional reporting by Associated Press. See live updates from the New Hampshire primaries as they came in below.

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Key Points

• Bernie Sanders holds lead during first-in-the-nation primary
• Amy Klobuchar sees polling surge into third place
• Joe Biden slips in the polls to fifth place
• Elizabeth Warren campaign releases attack memo claiming underdog status in crowded race

[11 February 2020 15:14 · Alex Woodward]

Bernie Sanders, who raked in more than 60 per cent of the vote against Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire's 2016 primary, is polling ahead of 2020's Democratic contenders.

The Independent's Andrew Buncombe breaks down the latest national polls.

[11 February 2020 15:40 · Alex Woodward]

[11 February 2020 16:00 · Alex Woodward]

Twenty miles apart, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren compete for the progressive vote in remarkable contrast.

The Independent's man in New Hampshire Clark Mindock has more on their ideological divide and the race between the two candidates whose home states share borders with the state:

[11 February 2020 16:16 · Alex Woodward]

Biden heading to South Carolina before voting ends in New Hampshire

The Independent's Clark Mindock reports that the Biden campaign has announced that the former vice president will hop on a plane and leave New Hampshire behind tonight, as he faces what seems increasingly likely to be a second embarrassment for the candidate in a row.

Biden is headed to South Carolina, where he will kick off his state campaign there in Colombia. He had previously planned on holding a primary night event in Nashua, which was scheduled for roughly the same time as this new event.

The decision certainly makes some tactical sense. The former vice president bombed in Iowa, and trails in New Hampshire as voters head to the polls. In that time, he has been making the case that the first two states in the nominating season are unrepresentative of the Democratic Party as a whole — and has repeatedly signaled he thinks he can still do well with the large African American and Hispanic populations in South Carolina and Nevada, which vote next.

[11 February 2020 16:30 · Alex Woodward]

The Strokes' Julian Casablancas told a crowd at a massive rally and concert to support Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire that he "represents our only chance to overthrow corporate power and help return America to democracy".

[11 February 2020 16:50 · Alex Woodward]

On the night before the primary, Donald Trump held another ego-boosting campaign rally, signalling his strategy ahead of the fall election: hard-line anti-immigration messaging, celebrating his impeachment acquittal, and exploiting Democratic division.

John T Bennett has more:

[11 February 2020 17:00 · Alex Woodward]

After campaigning as the only candidate to be able to beat Donald Trump, Joe Biden now says "I refuse to suggest any Democrat can lose. I think we can run Mickey Mouse against this president and have a shot."

[11 February 2020 17:15 · Alex Woodward]

Trump in bewildering haiku attack on Michael Bloomberg

[11 February 2020 17:50 · Alex Woodward]

Six things to look for after the polls close tonight:

[11 February 2020 18:15 · Alex Woodward]

Republican strategists are reportedly thrilled with the Democrat race thus far, hoping for a head-to-head match between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in the general, according to NBC News.

Team Trump is hoping for more inter-party chaos and to lean on "Bernie is a socialist" messaging. Meanwhile: