New Hampshire primary: Bernie Sanders wins, CBS News projects

With about 91% of precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning, turnout is higher than the Democratic primary in 2016, and nearly as high as the 2008 race.

Turnout stands at 283,440 voters in Tuesday's election, just short of the 285,040 people who voted in the 2008 Democratic primary, and higher than the 249,597 people who cast ballots in the 2016 race.

Klobuchar's campaign manager Justin Buoen told CBS News the campaign has raised $2.5 million since the polls closed at 8 p.m. 

Klobuchar previously raised $2 million in the 24 hours after the Democratic debate on Friday. 

Sanders took the stage moments after CBS News and other networks projected he won the New Hampshire primary. 

"Thank you! Thank you. Thank you, New Hampshire!" he said, as the roaring crowd kept him from speaking immediately.

Sanders thanked the crowd for delivering him a victory Tuesday night and credited his win in New Hampshire to the tireless work of so many volunteers.

Sanders declared his victory was "the beginning of the end for Donald Trump." 

"We're going to Nevada, we're going to South Carolina, we're going to win those states as well," he said.

The senator from Vermont gave a shoutout to Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren and Biden, insisting that no matter who the ultimate victor is, they would unite behind the nominee to defeat Mr. Trump. 

"No matter who wins, and we certainly hope it's going to be us, we're going to unite together and defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country," he said. 

Buttigieg celebrated his New Hampshire showing with supporters in Nashua. He congratulated his fellow Democratic contenders and reiterating that he is the candidate who can unite Democrats, independents and Republicans looking for a candidate to back in November. 

"Thanks to you, a campaign that some said shouldn't be here at all has shown that we are here to stay," Buttigieg, who placed second in the primary behind Sanders and ahead of Klobuchar, said Tuesday night.

The former South Bend mayor thanked New Hampshire voters, saying they had "asserted the famous independence streak" in keeping with the Granite State's motto, "Live Free or Die."

"So many of you turned out — diehard Democrats, Independents unwilling to stay on the sidelines and even some newly former Republicans — ready to vote for something new, ready to vote for a politics defined by how many we call in instead of who we push out," Buttigieg told supporters. "So many of you chose to meet a new era of challenge with a new generation of leadership. So many of you decided that a middle-class mayor and a veteran from the industrial Midwest was the right choice to take on this president not in spite of that experience but because of it."

Buttigieg congratulated Sanders for his strong showing in New Hampshire, noting that he "admired Senator Sanders when I was a high school student." He also mentioned Klobuchar, Warren and Biden.

"We are on the same team," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg said he is the candidate who can unite the political factions and noted "most Americans don't see where they fit in" when presented with the choice of either revolution or status quo, a seeming knock on Sanders and Biden.

"We cannot defeat the most divisive president in modern history by tearing down anyone who doesn't agree with us 100% of the time," Buttigieg said.

The CBS News Decision Desk projects Sanders has won the New Hampshire primary. Buttigieg came in second and Klobuchar was third. Warren and Biden trailed the three front-runners.

Sanders also won New Hampshire in the 2016 Democratic primaries, although by a wider margin. Candidates will now move onto Nevada, which has its caucus on February 22, and South Carolina, which will hold its primary on February 29. Biden is hoping to perform better in those two states, and particularly in South Carolina, because both states have more diverse populations than Iowa or New Hampshire.

Continuing his running commentary on the New Hampshire primary results, Mr. Trump noted Buttigieg's position in the race and appeared to bestow a nickname upon the former South Bend mayor.

"Bootedgeedge (Buttigieg) is doing pretty well tonight. Giving Crazy Bernie a run for his money. Very interesting!" Mr. Trump tweeted.

Buttigieg is currently in second behind Sanders and ahead of Klobubhar.

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is expected to drop out of the presidential race on Wednesday, a source familiar with the announcement confirmed to CBS News. Patrick, who entered the race in November, failed to gain a foothold in an already crowded primary field.

The announcement will likely be made in an email to supporters, the source added. 

Patrick's campaign manager pushed back in a statement, saying: "As the governor stated tonight, he is evaluating and will make a decision about the future of the campaign tomorrow." 

— Stephen Sanchez

Tulsi Gabbard spoke to CBSN's Elaine Quijano shortly after addressing supporters in New Hampshire. Despite the amount of time she spent in the state, she finished significantly behind the top five candidates.

Continuing his commentary on the Democratic primary, Mr. Trump tweeted that it was a "very bad night" for Bloomberg. However, Bloomberg is not on the ballot in New Hampshire, having chosen to instead focus on Super Tuesday states.

"A very bad night for Mini Mike!" Mr. Trump wrote, using his preferred insult for Bloomberg. 

Klobuchar was jubilant as she addressed supporters after a strong showing in New Hampshire, taking the opportunity to introduce herself to voters outside of New Hampshire. With about 65% of the vote in, Klobuchar is in third place behind Sanders and Buttigieg.

"Hello, America. I'm Amy Klobuchar and I will beat Donald Trump," Klobuchar said. "My heart is full tonight. While there are still ballots left to count, we have beaten the odds every step of the way."

Klobuchar praised her supporters, who often interrupted her with chants.

"We love you New Hampshire!" Klobuchar said to an enthusiastic crowd. "Because of you, we are taking this campaign to Nevada. We are going to South Carolina."

"I cannot wait to win the nomination. I cannot wait to build a movement and win with a movement of fired-up Democrats, of independent moderates and Republicans that see the election as we do," Klobuchar continued, calling the election a "patriotism check" and a "decency check."

Klobuchar said that the race was about "grit," and touted her "happy, scrappy campaign." Klobuchar received praise for her standout performance at the Democratic debate in New Hampshire Friday night. 

President Trump fired off a tweet knocking Warren as election returns showed a disappointing result for her in New Hampshire. Warren, along with Biden, is not on pace to win any delegates in the Granite State.

"Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, is having a really bad night. I think she is sending signals that she wants out," Mr. Trump tweeted. "Calling for unity is her way of getting there, going home, and having a 'nice cold beer' with her husband!"

The president also criticized Steyer, who is focusing on South Carolina and Nevada, the next two states where Democrats will hit the polls in the primary season.

"Impeachment King Steyer (how did that work out?) spent 200 Million Dollars and got less than 1% of the vote in Iowa, and only 3% of the Vote in New Hampshire. Could it be that something is just plain missing? Not easy to do what I did, is it?" Mr. Trump tweeted.

Biden, taking to the stage in Columbia, South Carolina, told the crowd they've only heard from two states out of 50 so far.

"It is important that Iowa and Nevada have spoken," Biden said, inadvertently saying "Nevada," instead of "New Hampshire." 

The country, he said, hasn't yet heard from the bedrock of the Democratic Party and the nation — the African-American vote. 

When pundits doubt him, Biden said supporters should tell them, "It ain't over man, we're just getting started. Our votes count, too."

The former vice president said he'll never take their votes for granted. 

Klobuchar is expanding her staff amid a strong showing in New Hampshire, CBS News has confirmed. 

The Klobuchar campaign is expanding staff in Nevada, where they currently have around 30 staffers, and in South Carolina and Super Tuesday states. 

Klobuchar is on track to finish in third place in New Hampshire, according to the CBS News Decision Desk. 

— Bo Erickson and Nicole Sganga 

The New Hampshire attorney general said at 9 p.m. the election hotline had received 160 calls, but all of the issues were resolved. An official confirmed all the calls were routine. 

The former vice president addressed roughly 100 supporters gathered in Nashua, New Hampshire, via livestream from Columbia, South Carolina, which will hold its primary February 29. 

"I do love New Hampshire and I mean it," Biden said, appearing alongside Jill Biden on a large screen at the election night party. "Jill and I just want to thank you — thank you, thank you, thank you to all our supporters in New Hampshire.

Biden highlighted the "friends you make for life" during campaigns and said he and Jill Biden would "never forget the wonderful people we came across."

"Don't go away," Biden said. "You're not getting rid of us, we're coming back, and we love you."

Jill Biden told supporters, "We'll see you in the general."

Biden also vowed to win Nevada and South Carolina, the next two electoral contests. 

Sanders remains in the lead as results trickle in from the New Hampshire primary, with Buttigieg in second place and Klobuchar in third. The race is still leaning toward Sanders.

Independents make up about 47% of the New Hampshire Democratic primary voters today (that's a bit higher than the 40% in 2016).  

Among independents, Sanders is leading, followed closely by Buttigieg and Klobuchar. Self-identified Democrats are split between Sanders, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar.

In terms of political ideology, moderate voters are dividing between Buttigieg and Klobuchar. Those who identify as very liberal are currently backing Sanders, while voters identifying as somewhat liberal are divided between Sanders and Buttigieg.
 
Young voters, those under 30 years of age, are backing Sanders. Seniors, those over 65 years of age, are currently for Klobuchar. 

Klobuchar performs well with more educated voters. Sanders currently leads among those without a college degree. 

— Melissa Herrmann

Senator Michael Bennet dropped out of the presidential race, he announced Tuesday night. 

"I am going to do absolutely everything I can do as one human being to make sure that Donald Trump is a one-term president," Bennet said, pledging to support whomever the Democratic nominee is. 

The CBS News Decision Desk reports that in the New Hampshire primary, Sanders is leading, and Buttigieg and Klobuchar are fighting for second. Sanders also won the New Hampshire primary in 2016.

Bernie Sanders has "rock-solid" support, CBS News elections director Anthony Salvanto noted on CBSN but has not been growing his support.

These three candidates are expected to receive delegates.

There is a split between the New Hampshire Democratic primary voters who are looking for candidate who can bring needed change versus those looking for a candidate who can unite the country. 

Exit polls show those wanting change are more likely to support Sanders, while those who want someone to unite the country are more for Klobuchar (31%), followed by Buttigieg (29%).
 
There's also a split among New Hampshire Democratic primary voters about the kind of policies the next president should adopt: 41% want a return to Barack Obama's policies, while 41% want a change to more liberal policies. Those who want more liberal policies are mostly backing Sanders, while those who want to return to President Obama's policies are dividing their support among Klobuchar and Buttigieg, followed by Biden, who was Mr. Obama's vice president.

Buttigieg has a slight edge among voters who prioritize electability over agreement on the issues, followed by Klobuchar and Sanders. Among those for whom agreement on issues is the higher priority, Sanders has the current advantage.

 When it comes to the issues, Sanders has the edge among those who pick health care as their top priority. Those who support replacing private insurance with a government plan are voting for Sanders, while opponents of such a plan are currently divided between Buttigieg and Klobuchar. 

Sanders leads with voters who feel income inequality is the issue that mattered most when deciding their vote. Voters who were most concerned about climate change or foreign policy put their support mostly behind Buttigieg. 
 
Almost half of Democratic primary voters decided on their candidate just in the last few days – far more than the number of last-minute deciders in 2016. Those voters are dividing between Buttigieg (28%) and Klobuchar (23%). Sanders currently leads among those who made up their minds longer ago.
 
And among those who say the last debate was important in their decision, Klobuchar leads the field.

– Jennifer De Pinto and Melissa Herrmann

Biden and Warren are not on pace to capture any delegates in New Hampshire, CBS News' Decision Desk projects.

The failure to capture any delegates in the Granite State would be a significant blow to either candidate. Biden had already announced earlier Tuesday that he would be moving on to South Carolina before the polls closed in New Hampshire. 

Warren addressed supporters in New Hampshire, as early election returns showed a disappointing result for her campaign in the state. She praised Klobuchar, who is having a stronger night than expected, saying her fellow senator was "showing just how wrong the pundits can be when they count a woman out."

Warren pivoted to making the argument that she was the best positioned to unite the moderate and progressive factions of the Democratic Party. She said that the country "might be headed for another one of those long primary fights," but noted that 55 states and territories still had yet to vote.

"Americans in every part of the country are going to make their voices heard," Warren said, adding that Democrats would need "huge turnout" in order to defeat Mr. Trump.

"We cannot afford to fall into factions, we can't afford to squander our collective power, we win when we come together," Warren said.

Yang took the podium after news broke that he was dropping out of the presidential race. He began by thanking his wife and his supporters for their passion and energy, donations, and thousands of hours of volunteer work.

"We have brought a message of humanity first," he told the crowd.

Yang emphasized that his campaign has brought universal basic income to the forefront of Democratic issues. The end result might be "bitterly disappointing for many of us, but it shouldn't be," Yang said.

Then Yang said it explicitly — that he's the "math guy and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race."

"And so tonight, I am announcing I am suspending my campaign for president," Yang said.

Yang said coming to this decision wasn't easy, but he doesn't believe the issues he stands for will be furthered by staying in the race.

"The Yang gang has fundamentally shifted the direction of this country and transformed our politics and we are only continuing to grow," Yang said.

Andrew Yang ended his campaign for president on Tuesday, his campaign manager confirmed to CBS News. Yang's two-year run catapulted the philanthropist from obscurity into the national spotlight. 
 
Yang entered the race toward the end of 2017 as an unknown with virtually no donor list. He had neither held nor run for office, and his policy agenda primarily focused on creating a "universal basic income" of $1,000 for every American over the age of 18. Yang's "Freedom Dividend" was such an essential part of his candidacy that his original campaign website was named after it.

Yang's campaign repeatedly defied expectations. With the help of his incredibly passionate group of supporters, known colloquially as the "Yang Gang," he out-competed and outlasted more than a dozen career politicians, including governors, sitting U.S. senators and sitting U.S. congressmen. 

— Ben Mitchell

At 8:00 p.m. ET, CBS News is showing a three-way race with Bernie Sanders out in front, with Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar neck-and-neck behind him.

At this point, it looks to be a poor showing for Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren: they're well behind the top three.

Exit polls show about a quarter of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters feel that the age of a candidate is an important factor in deciding whom to vote for in today's primary. Bernie Sanders, who is 78, and Joe Biden, at 77, would be the oldest president ever to take office if elected. Pete Buttigieg, who is 38, would be the youngest. 

If the Democratic nominee is a woman, over half of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters think it will make no difference as they attempt to beat President Trump. About 30% think it would be harder for a woman to beat him, and about 1 in 10 say it would make it easier to beat him.
 
— Melissa Herrmann

When evaluating each of the candidates, about half of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters said they think Bernie Sanders's positions on the issues are too liberal, while about 40% think they are just right. 

Almost half of voters said Joe Biden's positions are just right, with 39% saying his positions are not liberal enough. 

Over two-thirds said Pete Buttigieg's positions are just right. 

New Hampshire Democratic primary voters are split on Elizabeth Warren, with a little over 40% saying her positions are just right and about the same number saying they are too liberal. 

— Melissa Herrmann

Polls have begun to close in New Hampshire, although the exact closing time is up to each precinct. Polls cannot close earlier than 7 p.m., and some precincts won't close until 8 p.m.

Some precincts have been open since midnight. 

Klobuchar and Buttigieg are two candidates who weren't well known when the 2020 campaign began. But now they're surging in New Hampshire, a state known for its surprises. 

"People are realizing, 'You know what? She's actually doing better than anyone thought.' And I think that's the story of my life. And that's the story of this campaign," Klobuchar told "CBS Evening News" on her campaign bus in Manchester.

Iowa helped propel Buttigieg and now expectations in New Hampshire are high. He told CBS News his message to progressive voters is "simple."

"I would be the most progressive president in the last half-century. And yet I'm also offering a way to do it that doesn't risk the further division and polarization that is already such a problem for our country," Buttigieg said.

Watch more of the interviews with Klobuchar and Buttigieg here.

Almost two-thirds of New Hampshire Republican primary voters believe that President Trump's impeachment has helped his chances of being reelected, according to exit polls.
 
But Democrats' views on that are mixed. Well over half of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters said that impeachment will make no difference in Mr. Trump's chances of being reelected. About 22% said it hurt his chances and 15% said it helped. 

A large majority (88%) of New Hampshire Republican primary voters think that Mr. Trump has mostly kept his campaign promises. 
 
And over half of New Hampshire Republican primary voters say they have more allegiance to Mr. Trump than to the Republican Party. 
 
Generally, New Hampshire Republican primary voters are happy with the Trump administration. About 60% say they are enthusiastic about the Trump administration, and about a quarter say they are satisfied but not enthusiastic. 
 
Over 90% of New Hampshire Republican primary voters say they are getting ahead financially or holding steady, and 95% think the nation's economy is good/excellent. Looking ahead, they are optimistic; about half expect life for the next generation of Americans to be better than it is today. 
 
— Melissa Herrmann

The Granite State wants everyone to know this contest won't be like Iowa, instead, there will be a decisive winner. A recent CBS News Battleground Tracker found that only 39% of voters have made up their minds, so Democrats are pitching their cases until the very end.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday afternoon, President Trump said he would rather run against "lightweight" Bloomberg than Sanders. That's because Sanders "has followers," he added. 

Mr. Trump mocked Bloomberg for seeming to change his position on "stop and frisk," insisting — even though he's supported stop and frisk in the past — he wouldn't "beg" for forgiveness in a church like Bloomberg did. Asked if he still supports stop and frisk, Mr. Trump said he supports anything that helps police catch criminals, and blasted Bloomberg's switch as "disingenuous." 

Asked about Biden's prospects, the Oval Office occupant said he thinks the former vice president still has a chance but would have to work hard to win. 

"We're going to have a very interesting Democrat race, and I think we're going to have a very interesting election," Mr. Trump said. 

Exit polls show more than 9 in 10 New Hampshire Democratic primary voters are unhappy with the Trump administration, including 81% who say they are angry. By almost 2-to-1, they say they prefer a nominee who can beat President Trump to one they agree with on major issues.

Eight in 10 New Hampshire Democratic primary voters say they will vote for the Democratic nominee regardless of who it is.  

Health care is the most important issue for New Hampshire Democratic voters today, exit polling reveals, followed by climate change, income inequality and foreign policy. 

 On the economic front, about two-thirds of Democratic voters in New Hampshire say their financial situation is holding steady. Just 1 in 5 say it is getting better, about 1 in 10 say worse.

A majority (almost 60%) say they support a government health care plan that would replace private insurance for everyone. And for making tuition free at public colleges — roughly two-thirds support that. 
 
—  Jennifer De Pinto and Melissa Herrmann

Many New Hampshire Democratic primary voters decided on their vote choice late. Exit polling shows almost half of Democratic primary voters decided on their candidate in the last few days. If this holds, it will be nearly double the 25% who decided that late in 2016.

For almost half of voters, the most recent debate was an important factor in their vote.

There is division among New Hampshire voters what kind of policies they want the next President to adopt. About 40% said they want a return to Barack Obama's policies, while almost as many say they want a change to more liberal policies.

From a list of candidate qualities, "someone who can unite the country" and "someone who can bring needed change" top the list, with each chosen by about one-third of voters. Fewer picked "someone who cares about me" and "someone who is a fighter." 

— Jennifer DePinto and Melissa Herrmann

Elizabeth Warren's campaign sent a memo to supporters outlining her path forward. The lengthy memo comes after Warren's third-place finish in Iowa and what could be a similar finish in New Hampshire. It seeks to recast the contest as a three-person race between Warren, Sanders and Biden. 

In a three-way race, the campaign argues that "Warren is the candidate with the highest potential ceiling of support and the one best positioned to unite the party and lead the Democratic ticket to defeat Donald Trump."  

The memo also lays out what the campaign believes are the weaknesses of the other major candidates in the field, including former New York City Michael Bloomberg, claiming that despite the hundreds of millions he has spent in the race, he's "on track" to fail to win delegates "in 85% of Super Tuesday state districts," though the memo offers no evidence to support this assertion.

Warren's campaign focuses on delegate wins, especially on Super Tuesday, when a third of all delegates are at stake. The memo focuses on Warren's strength in many of those states, claiming that she is "poised to finish in the top two in over half Super Tuesday states" and declares she's the "consensus choice of the widest coalition of Democrats."  

At one polling site in Manchester, voters were split on when they made their decisions. About half knew for months which candidate they'd support, while half decided within the past 24 hours — including some who made up their mind in the booth.

All were concerned about the nominee's ability to take on President Trump.

Here's what some had to say: 

"Made up my mind on drive over," said Dan Holmes. He said he had trouble choosing between Warren and Sanders. He's not so concerned about Sanders' age and likes 'Bernie's aggression more.'" He prefers Warren's policies, though. 

George Stanwood, a Trump supporter, voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 and is voting for him again today. "I like the guy we got," he said.

Julio Vega's mind was made up four years ago, too. He voted for Sanders then and is voting for him again today.

Sandy Nash decided "last night." She was torn between Buttigieg, Klobuchar and Warren. "I went with Warren," she said.

Though she thinks Mr. Trump could win, "I would vote Donald Duck before I vote for Donald Trump," she said.

CBS News' most recent poll, published Sunday, indicated that only 39% of New Hampshire voters had definitely made up their minds, and only 59% of those who had decided are enthusiastic about their chosen candidate.
 
"I go in the shower and think one thing. I come out of the shower and think something else," Mary Atwell of Bedford told CBS News. "I think it's very difficult this time. And I've voted in a lot of elections."

The retiree and member of the Bedford Democrats has seen Pete Buttigieg in person three times, along with Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker. She's currently housing a Warren volunteer. "I've been leaning towards Pete. But then I get a little worried because he's young." She paused. "I like some of Elizabeth Warren's proposals. It's hard."
Gerri and Ron King have been hosting presidential candidates at their home since 2004. This election cycle alone, the couple hosted a dozen White House contenders in their living room.

"When Obama was at our house, we sent pictures to our friends out of state. Our friends thought we photo-shopped him in," Gerri King chuckled.

"They don't have the stage persona while standing in your living room," Ron King remarked. "On the debate stage, you always get the stump speech. In the house, you don't get that."

Renowned for its intimate house parties, New Hampshire offers its small, six-figure pool of voters a first row seat and outsized role in picking the party's nominee, though sometimes that seat is on the neighbor's carpet. 

"There's something special about a person sitting on the living room floor, asking a question. It's different from a large venue," Ron King said.

When the first votes of the primary were counted after midnight, from Dixville Notch, Hart's Location and Millsfield, Amy Klobuchar was ahead, with 8 votes. Mike Bloomberg managed to get three write-in votes out of Dixville Notch. He's not on the ballot here.

By Wednesday, New Hampshire voters universally concede that their turn in the spotlight will end. "After Tuesday, we're chopped liver," Gerri King quipped.

Sanders responded to news that Biden would be traveling to South Carolina instead of staying in New Hampshire to see the primary election results, saying simply that his campaign would remain in the state.

"All I can say is we'll be here tonight," Sanders told reporters. According to a CBS News poll, Sanders is leading the field in New Hampshire, and is expected to have a strong showing tonight.

Sanders also noted that he had been unable to campaign during the impeachment trial in the Senate, but that he still had significant crowds at campaign events in New Hampshire.

"You know, we were hit a little bit hard by the impeachment process, which kept me in Washington for a  couple of weeks but I'm proud that we have spoken to tens and tens of thousands of people in New Hampshire," Sanders said, adding that he was "not going to speculate" who would win in the state. — Cara Korte and Grace Segers

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner is predicting turnout of  some 420,000 voters (292,000 Democratic ballots and 128,000 Republican ballots.) If he's right, that would be the most votes cast in a presidential primary featuring an incumbent president. 

However, on a phone call with reporters Monday, New Hampshire Democratic chair Ray Buckley said, "I don't think anyone is predicting anywhere near the 2008 turnout. I think we will have a terrific turnout. It will certainly be higher than any other state in the entire nominating process. But there's no indication we'll match or be near 2008."

In New Hampshire, the undeclared or independent voters who make up 42% of the current electorate may pick up either a Democratic or Republican ballot on primary day. There are more independents this cycle compared to 2016 (38%), the majority coming from the Republican Party.

In 2016, Bernie Sanders ran away with the New Hampshire primary with a 22-point win over Hillary Clinton. In November, Clinton went on to win New Hampshire against Donald Trump by just 0.3% (less than 2,700 votes.) 

In New Hampshire, over 4,400 wrote in Sanders' name in the general election.

Although all eyes are on New Hampshire, a new national poll by Monmouth University suggests that support for Biden on a national level is fading. The poll finds that Sanders has 26% support from Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters nationwide, with Biden trailing in second with 16% support.

Warren and Buttigieg both have 13% support from Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters, while Bloomberg is at 11%, Klobuchar at 6% and Yang at 4%. Bloomberg has sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into television advertising across the country, a strategy that appears to be working as his national support rises.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is heading to South Carolina tonight, skipping an election night party in New Hampshire.

Biden will attend a "launch party" in Columbia, South Carolina, at 8 p.m. and address supporters in New Hampshire via livestream. Multiple people familiar with his plans told CBS News earlier Tuesday that Biden intends to continue his presidential campaign regardless of how he performs tonight.

"I am looking forward to traveling to South Carolina this evening and Nevada later this week to carry our campaign forward and hear from the diverse voters whose voices must be heard in this process to select the Democratic nominee who will unite this country to defeat Donald Trump," a statement from his campaign said.

Asked if South Carolina is do-or-die for his presidential prospects, Biden told CBS News, "No, I don't think so. Look, the rest of the nation is out there."

Biden has sunk in Granite State polls to as low as fifth place by some measures and is beginning to slide in national surveys amid the rise of Sanders and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The decline comes amid quarterly fundraising reports that showed he began the year with just $9 million in his campaign coffers.

A top Biden confidant said earlier that the campaign "will move on to Nevada," saying the state is "more demonstrative demographically of this country in the 21st Century and hope that he wins."

But, the confidant added, "he is being outspent there as well."

Biden is scheduled to be off the campaign trail on Wednesday in Delaware before spending Thursday in New York for fundraising events and an appearance on "The View" with his wife, Jill. He is scheduled to hold campaign events Friday and Saturday in Nevada.

Biden has touted his strength in South Carolina thanks to strong support from black voters, but recent polls show Sanders and businessman Tom Steyer beginning to cut into these advantages. — Ed O'Keefe and Bo Erickson

As New Hampshire voters go to the polls, CBS News' Major Garrett and Alex Wagner say "the big story line" coming out of the state will be which candidates came up short.

Garrett pointed out that Amy Klobuchar "had two great nights here," referring to Friday's Democratic debate followed by a strong showing at a state party dinner. The momentum could be enough to push Klobuchar to third place behind Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg — a finish that would be a huge blow to Elizabeth Warren, who spent months campaigning in New Hampshire. 

The New Hampshire primary is getting extra attention after the disaster at the Iowa caucuses last week. New Hampshire's Secretary of State Bill Gardner told "CBS This Morning" that the voting will be simple and secure.

"Keep it simple. Keep the moving parts the smallest number you can," he said.

Asked if the process could be hacked in any way, Gardner said, "You can't hack a pencil."

The secretary added that there are no apps involved in the counting of votes. Technical problems with a new app were blamed for the delay in the Iowa caucus results.

Although Warren and Sanders have similar stances on many issues, including support for Medicare for All, Warren drew a contrast with her fellow senator over her support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.

When asked by CBS News what she would tell voters looking for a distinction between the two, Warren said "it's there" and pointed to her support for USMCA and Sanders' opposition to it.

"I believe that we ought to try to get as much good to as many people as quickly as we can. We voted, for example, in different ways on the trade deal. Bernie said, not good enough, and I said, I'll take some help and fight for better. And I think that's a difference," Warren said.

Sanders opposed USMCA, which passed in Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by President Trump last month, because it did not include strong enough protections for workers or provisions to address climate change.

However, Warren supported the deal because it implemented incremental progress on workers' rights. At the debate in New Hampshire last week, Warren suggested that success needs to come in steps, and she said she'll wake up the next day to work on a better deal for the climate and for workers. — Zak Hudak and Grace Segers

Iowa's status as the first state for casting votes in the election cycle often buoys a potential frontrunner. But the lack of a clear victor in the Hawkeye State — both Sanders and Buttigieg have requested partial recanvassing — makes New Hampshire even more closely watched. 

There is one candidate looming large in the field who won't be on the ballot in New Hampshire — Mike Bloomberg. A Quinnipiac poll released Monday showed the former New York City mayor in third place nationally, and performing nearly as well as Biden among black Democrats. Bloomberg has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into television ads, dwarfing all combined ad spending of the rest of the Democratic field.  

When President Trump won the New Hampshire primary in 2016, he reportedly credited the opioid epidemic, calling the state a "drug infested den." He effectively tied widespread opioid addiction to his signature campaign theme — the border wall he wanted to build across the U.S. southern border with Mexico — saying that the drugs were coming up through Mexico.

Presidential candidates or opioid deaths were the main recurring topics in New Hampshire news that year, when 20 people were listed on the major-party primary ballots, and 437 people died of opioid overdoses. Despite the attention, the number rose in 2017. And now, it still ranks among the top five states for opioid- and drug-related deaths.

Now, in 2020, White House hopefuls are accustomed to including, along with traditional retail stops, visits to rehab centers, where they unveil expensive plans to curb opioid abuse.

Sanders is trying to hold onto his lead against Pete Buttigieg, who has made gains coming off of the Iowa caucuses. Only 39% of likely voters say they've definitely made up their minds, and only 59% are enthusiastic about their favored candidate. No matter which candidates draw the most attention, it does appear that Sanders and Buttigieg are both in position to get delegates.

Based on our latest CBS News Battleground Tracker poll, our baseline estimate of the contest has Sanders at 29% support among likely voters (up two points from January) while Buttigieg is at 25% — having gained 12 points since then. Many of Buttigieg's recent gains come at the expense of Joe Biden, who is now at 12%. Elizabeth Warren is in front of Biden with 17%, and Amy Klobuchar just behind him at 10%.

 — Anthony Salvanto, Kabir Khanna and Jennifer DePinto