US Election: Kasich Takes Surprise Second As Expected Candidates Win New Hampshire Primaries

February 10, 2016

Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders cruised to early victories in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich is projected to finish second in the GOP race.

Multiple Republicans, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, are now battling for a third-place finish.

Trump, a brash billionaire reality TV star who has never run for office, and Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, were seen as long-shot outsiders when they launched their campaigns. Their victories reflect deep bipartisan discontent at professional politicians and suggest that both the Democratic and Republican races will now be long struggles that could stretch well into the spring.

Trump appeared on stage with a beaming smile on his face and gave a thumbs up to his crowd of supporters.

"Wow, wow, wow," Trump said. "We are going to make America great again."

A hoarse but jubilant Sanders also thanked his supporters with a passionate speech.

"Tonight we have sent a message that will echo from Wall Street to Washington from Maine to California," he said.

His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, delivered a concession speech that appeared to be an effort to co-opt Sanders' message about an economy stacked against the middle class while she vowed to fight her rival across the political map.

"Now we take this campaign to the entire country. We are going to fight for every vote in every state," she said, foreshadowing a long fight for the nomination.

"People have every right to be angry. But they are also hungry. They are hungry for solutions," she said, adding that she wanted to rein in Wall Street. "But I know how to do it," Clinton said, implying that Sanders' calls for a revolution were unrealistic.

A source within the Sanders campaign told CNN's Mark Preston that his victory meant that the Vermont senator's operation would transition into a national effort targeting multiple states beyond the next two contests in South Carolina and Nevada. Sanders intends to draw sharp differences with Clinton on the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal and other trade issues which could play into the campaign.

Battle for second

Kasich, Rubio and Bush battled for a runner-up finish to assume the leadership of the GOP establishment.

Kasich's victory did not appear sufficiently clear cut to position himself as the sole establishment going into the big races across the South in the coming weeks. He could, however, win delegates in the Midwest if he can stay in the race well into March.

The continuing crowding of the establishment lane could play into the hands of Trump, the top anti-establishment candidate and Cruz, who proved his social conservative bona fides by winning the Iowa caucuses.

With 35% of the GOP vote counted at about 9:40 p.m. ET, Trump was in the lead at 34% followed by Kasich at 16%. Cruz had 12% while Bush was at 11%, Rubio was at 10% and Chris Christie was at 8%.

On the Democratic side, with 34% of the vote in, Sanders was at 59% to Clinton's 38%.

(CNN)