5 Takeaways From the New Hampshire Primary

ByPAOLA CHAVEZ ABCNews logo
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Last night, the polls proved to be right. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders emerged as the winners by a huge lead Tuesday night.

Here are 5 things to know about how New Hampshire changed the race leading into the next contests in Nevada and South Carolina:

Trump Gets His Groove Back

The real estate mogul was hoisted by New Hampshirites seeking a political outsider who "tells it like it is." Amid doubt after the Iowa caucuses that public opinion polling was inflating Trump's actual support at the polls, Trump was able to drive voter turnout in New Hampshire, fending off questions, at least for now, that he can deliver in future contests.

Despite facing backlash after calling in December for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States, Tuesday's exit polls show two-thirds of GOP voters in the Granite State are in favor of Trump's proposal.

As of this morning, Trump locked in a little over 35 percent of the vote in New Hampshire. The race for the White House continues in South Carolina, where Trump holds a significant lead over the pack.

Kasich Gets His Kicks

The Ohio governor is a "new" candidate on voters' radar after a surprise second place finish. He's come a long way from being a candidate whose name no one knew how to pronounce correctly.

Though second overall, Kasich finished first against the other governors in the race -- Chris Christie and Jeb Bush -- shaking the Bush campaign and possibly a factor in Christie's expected end to his candidacy.

While Kasich celebrated last night, he's well aware that this is a "long, long race," and doing well in the New Hampshire Republican primary doesn't secure the GOP nomination.

Rubio, Cruz, Bush Get Stuck in the Middle

Ted Cruz placed third, Jeb Bush in fourth and Marco Rubio in fifth in the New Hampshire primary, according to the Associated Press.

Cruz, one of the most conservative candidates, did well among the most conservative Republicans within the two states, but he has yet to prove he can appeal to voters outside his base.

Bush's fourth place finish is enough to keep his campaign alive, especially considering the amount of resources he has in South Carolina.

Rubio's rise was short-lived. Rubio may have botched his chances to be voters' solidified pick for president after his performance in last Saturday's GOP debate, which he even admits he "did not do well."

Clinton Gets 'Berned' in Nearly Every Category

Bernie Sanders smoked Hillary Clinton, finishing over 20 points ahead of her.

Exit polls showed Sanders won the majority of registered Democratic voters and independents.

While Clinton may have expected to lose the primary, she may have not anticipated losing the women's vote: 53 percent of women voted for Sanders, while 46 percent voted for Clinton.

And with voters under the age of 30, Sanders beat Clinton by a whopping 84 to 15 percent.

Clinton will have to find a way to reboot her campaign and reach out to young voters.

Other Candidates May Get the Boot

It might be time to pack it in for the candidates in the lower tiers.

Ben Carson, who placed fourth in Iowa behind leading contenders Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, finished in eighth place in the Granite State.

Carson was quick to dismiss rumors he would be "taking time off" from campaigning when he announced he would be heading home to Florida for "fresh clothes."

Also showing no signs of throwing in the towel is Carly Fiorina.

After a projected seventh place finish in the New Hampshire primary, she told a crowd in Manchester: "Our fight is just beginning."

As for long-shot GOP candidate Jim Gilmore, he said he hopes for a stronger finish in South Carolina.

"We've got a lot more work to do," the former Virginia governor said in reaction to his finish in Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary.

The South Carolina primaries are on Saturday, Feb. 20, for Republicans and on Saturday, Feb. 27, for Democrats.

The Nevada caucuses are on Feb. 20 for Democrats and on Tuesday, Feb. 23, for Republicans.

ABC News' Jordyn Phelps and Ryan Struyk contributed to this report.

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