MANCHESTER: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders resoundingly won Tuesday's presidential primaries in New Hampshire, riding a wave of anti-establishment anger in the second key test of the long, unpredictable race for the White House.
The runaway victory by Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist advocating nothing less than "political revolution," spelled a deflating if expected defeat for Hillary Clinton, who put a brave face on the loss and admitted she had some work to do as the campaign moves south.
On the Republican side, Trump's visceral assault on American politics galvanized voters who brought him his debut victory in the fledgling race, keeping him in pole position despite his second-place showing in last week's Iowa caucuses.
Ohio Governor John Kasich's uplifting and positive message of renewal catapulted him into second place, a potentially critical result for him as the Republican Party works out which mainstream candidate could successfully challenge the billionaire tycoon.
Disappointment befell Senator Marco Rubio, who hoped to match or better his third-place Iowa finish but stumbled to fifth in the Granite State, after he took a drubbing in Saturday's debate, where he robotically repeated his talking points.
Trump did what he had to do: secure a solid win after his embarrassing showing in Iowa called into question his showmanship strategy and his brand as a winner.
With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Trump swept 35 percent of the vote to Kasich's 16 percent, with Iowa winner Ted Cruz at 12 percent, narrowly ahead of former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Rubio.
Sanders, a US senator from Vermont who essentially treats neighboring New Hampshire as his home turf, crushed Clinton by 60 percent to 38 percent, with 90 percent of precincts reporting.
Officials predicted record voter turnout.
Sanders addressed a raucous crowd of supporters at his victory party in Concord, saying his primary win signalled voters no longer wanted business as usual in US political life.
"What the people here have said is that given the enormous crises facing our country, it is just too late for the same old, same old establishment politics and establishment economics. The people want real change," he said.
"Together, we have sent the message that will echo from Wall Street to Washington, from Maine to California."
Over at Trump headquarters, the crowd chanted "U-S-A! U-S-A!"
"We are going now to South Carolina. We're going to win in South Carolina," Trump declared, looking down the campaign trail to the next stop.
His win reinforced his position as the man to beat on the Republican side.
"He seems to be speaking for the silent majority," said auto mechanic Chris Skora after voting for the real estate magnate.
"A lot of us feel that way and it seems like in this day and age we can't say these things with the PC police all around."
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