Biden and Warren disappoint in New Hampshire primary
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Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to finish in fifth place in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, AP projects, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren in fourth.
Why it matters: The 2020 race has long been a four-way fight that includes Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. But Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been inching upward.
- Klobuchar seems likely to finish in the top three Tuesday night.
Between the lines: Biden saw the writing on the wall in New Hampshire. Expecting a low performance in the state, he opted instead to head to South Carolina Tuesday, where he's the long-standing front-runner.
- But his lead has been shrinking. While he once had a 31-point lead in South Carolina, a Post and Courier/Change Research poll from Feb. 2 showed him still in first, but with only a 5-point lead on Sanders (25%/20%).
And Warren still has reason for concern. Although she's set to come in fourth Tuesday, she was expected to do better in the first-in-the-nation primary. New Hampshire and her home state of Massachusetts share media markets, and she had geographically advantageous name recognition.
- But Sanders, whose home state of Vermont also neighbors New Hampshire, shared the same advantage.