New Hampshire debate: Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg clash, as Joe Biden seeks a come back
Follow the latest updates, as they happened
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
After a tumultuous week gathering results from Monday's Iowa caucus, Democrats faced off in a New Hampshire debate before ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation primary next week to help determine the Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential election. New Hampshire, neighbouring the home states of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, will hold its primary on 11 February.
The debate saw intense clashes, with Mr Sanders and Pete Buttigieg defending their momentum out of Iowa, where the two candidates led the pack. Joe Biden was on the offensive as well, even as he recognised that a win in New Hampshire may be a long shot — and candidate Amy Klobuchar provided a strong night as she seeks a surprise moment in the race.
Following delays and reports of inconsistencies that could significantly alter the final results, Mr Buttigieg barely cracked a razor-thin lead over Vermont senator Sanders, who captured the most votes in both rounds of the caucus but captured two fewer state delegate equivalents in that contest. Massachusetts senator Warren came in a near-distant third, and former vice president Joe Biden fell to fourth place.
Following his disappointing showing, Mr Biden has shaken up his campaign, promoting Anita Dunn to lead his White House bid, while Mr Sanders criticised Mr Buttigieg's billionaire-funded campaign as well as billionaire candidate Michael Bloomberg. "He is spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the election", Mr Sanders said. "There's something wrong with that."
Follow live updates below:
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
There's been a lot of attention to the campaign of Pete Buttigieg since he narrowly beat Bernie Sanders in Iowa. On Friday, the AP reported his campaign said it had raised $4m since the Iowa caucus, an impressive haul for a candidate looking to capitalise on his strong showing to continue building a national political brand
One of the things that has been talked about since Buttigieg's campaign gathered pace was whether the country was ready to elect an openly gay mayor. Read more here:
There's also lots of news in Washington DC. US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who testified in Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, said on Friday the president intends to recall him from his post.
“I was advised today that the President intends to recall me effective immediately as United States ambassador to the European Union,” Mr Sondland said in a statement, according to Reuters.
House Democrats have warned that a prolonged fight for their party's presidential nomination will only serve to bolster Mr Trump's reelection prospects. "We shouldn't underestimate him," congressman Ro Khanna told CNN. “Only eight American incumbent presidents have ever lost. It's always a challenge to defeat an American president. But he has a lot of glaring weaknesses.”
Watch a live stream of the New Hampshire debate right here (start time 8pm EST):
Hi folks! Clark Mindock here in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I'll be here for all of tonight's debate.
Can't wait to jump on in! So far, on the ground, I've been speaking to quite a few voters who just aren't sure who to vote with just yet. New Hampshire is well known for its independence — and many people say they might not make up their minds until just before they vote.
Ahead of the debate, local viewers here in New Hampshire are getting a lot of presidential candidate commercials. I've seen multiple ads for Tulsi Gabbard, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg.
Two of those are banking hard on their connection to Barack Obama. Biden has an ad running featuring the former president praising him for his work. As it happens, so does Warren (for her work on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).
Ok everyone, we have the dramatic music accompanying quotes from the candidates.
That means only one thing: the debate is starting right now.
The moderators just called Saint Anselm College's campus beautiful, and they're not lying.
New Hampshire looks like a postcard, with snow and ice on bare branches. Nice cottages and curving roads. It was snowing a bit earlier, too.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments