Primary veterans show how it’s done
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Voters turned out in droves Tuesday to deliver the first decisive outcome of the 2020 cycle, serving up a strong rebuke to the Iowa election meltdown while sweeping several lesserknown candidates out of the race.
The clear results brought the Democratic nomination into sharp focus after an election night reporting debacle in Iowa had clouded the contest.
“We might differ on political party or candidates, but we can all agree that New Hampshire does a good job at being first in the nation. It should stay that way,” said New Hampshire state Rep. Bob Backus, D-Manchester.
Despite Iowa and New Hampshire’s reputation for culling the number of presidential candidates, a handful of Democrats could remain viable as they head to Nevada and South Carolina. The once-trailing U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., got a recent surge of momentum in New Hampshire while Joe Biden — sensing a less-than-stellar Granite State outcome — decided to flee the state altogether and focus on South Carolina.
Biden’s cold shoulder comes after Iowa Democrats failed to deliver a presidential impact when a new app caused a reporting glitch that effectively eliminated their night-of results. The resulting confusion left big-money donors and voters in the dark as candidates plowed on to New Hampshire.
And several Democratic voters in New Hampshire admitted that the primary might not clear up much.
“I don’t think it’s going to slim down the field this time,” said Krista Lidman, who added that at least New Hampshire election officials won’t mess up the results. “I don’t think we’re trying out any new apps, are we?”
Campaigns for Biden and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren scrambled to downplay New Hampshire’s primary results even before the polls closed. Biden announced his plan to go to South Carolina on election night and Warren’s campaign manager Roger Lau blasted out a midafternoon email highlighting Warren’s national game plan.
“We have a plan to organize in all 57 states and territories across the country,” Lau wrote in an email. “The remaining three early states of New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina appear poised to keep the race wide open.”
Regardless of the impact, Manchester Ward 12 poll moderator Verna Perry-Beliveau said she’ll have accurate results in on time just as she does every election.
“We know our jobs,” said Perry-Beliveau, who woke up at 3:30 a.m. on primary day and arrived at Northwestern Elementary School at 4:30 a.m. to get ready for voters.
“We’re good at this,” she said. “New Hampshire should keep the primary. It’s a tradition and we work well together.”
And Backus said the results shows “New Hampshire does a good job at being first in the nation.”