Just moments after the polls officially closed in New Hampshire Tuesday night, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders were announced as the winners of the early voting state's primaries.
The Associated Press, NBC News and CNN all called the race for Trump and Sanders as the final polls closed at 8 p.m. EST, according to The Washington Post. The Associated Press had only reported about 10 percent of the vote, with Sanders leading by a margin of 56 percent to 42 percent. Hillary Clinton immediately conceded the race as media organizations have called the race for Sanders.
"After splitting the first two contests, an outcome we've long anticipated, attention will inevitably focus on the next two of the 'early four states,'" Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook wrote in a memo, according to The Hill. "We've built first-rate organizations in each state and we feel very good about our prospects for success."
The Sanders win in New Hampshire on top of a virtual tie in Iowa adds the air of electability to the Vermont senator's campaign - something critics, including Clinton, say he lacks.
Among Republicans, Trump led with 30 percent as the polls closed. However, second place was too close to call with John Kasich, George Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Chris Christie in a cluster in the middle of the pack, according to Politico. Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson sat at the bottom of the polls.
Trump needed to prove he would be able to hold his sizable lead after losing his advantage in Iowa, albeit a smaller one than in New Hampshire. In last week's Iowa caucuses, Trump fell to Cruz and was nearly matched by Rubio.
However, Trump's ability to hold onto his lead was a surprise among the New Hampshire political elite. "By name, I only know five people supporting Donald Trump," John H. Sununu, a former governor of New Hampshire, told The New York Times on Tuesday. "So I say I cannot understand this electorate."
