Sanders and Buttigieg Advance... Biden Leaves with Head Bowed

New Hampshire Primary Also a Sanders-Buttigieg Contest
Biden Struggles as National Support Declines
Plans to Move to Other Regions Without Waiting for Final Results

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced that he will leave New Hampshire, a key battleground in the early presidential primary race, and move to South Carolina. This is interpreted as an inevitable choice due to sluggish approval ratings.

According to CNN on the 11th (local time), with the second Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire starting simultaneously across the state, Biden told reporters, "I plan to head to South Carolina this evening."

The New Hampshire primary began on the 11th in Dixville Notch. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Biden's remark is seen as an implicit acknowledgment of the expected poor results following the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire.

CNN reported that the Biden campaign is trying to hold out until primaries are held in areas with many Black and Latino residents, their support base, arguing that Iowa and New Hampshire do not reflect racial diversity.

This primary, following the Iowa caucuses held on the 3rd, is the biggest battleground that will determine the early race dynamics, but Biden is expected to suffer a serious blow to his previously asserted "front-runner" status.

Senator Bernie Sanders, who topped a nationwide poll released by Quinnipiac University the day before, also surged to first place in another national poll on the same day.

In a poll released by Monmouth University on the same day, Sanders recorded 26% support, ranking first. Biden garnered only 16%, which is half of his support compared to the same poll last month. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Elizabeth Warren tied at 13%, while former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg received 11%. The New York Times evaluated Biden's weakness as prominent.

The New Hampshire primary is also expected to be a close race between Sanders and Buttigieg following Iowa. According to a survey of 364 Democratic voters conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center from the 6th to the 9th and released on the 10th, Sanders led with 29% support. Buttigieg was second with 22%, followed by Biden (11%) and Warren (10%) in third and fourth place respectively.

Voting in this primary took place by secret ballot at polling stations set up in 221 towns across 10 counties in New Hampshire, and no counting confusion like that in the Iowa caucuses is expected.

Voting is ongoing at each polling station, and official counting results are expected after 9 p.m., although some small polling stations have already completed voting and counting.

In Dixville Notch, a mountain village near the Canadian border that has maintained the tradition of voting at midnight on election day, Sanders and Buttigieg each received one vote. Among the five voters, three supported Bloomberg, who did not participate in this primary, resulting in invalid votes.

Additionally, voting and counting have been completed in Hart's Location and Millsfield. The results from these three locations are as follows: Senator Amy Klobuchar 8 votes, Sanders 4 votes, Warren 4 votes, Andrew Yang 3 votes, Buttigieg 2 votes, and Biden 2 votes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.