Bernie Sanders secures victory in closely contested New Hampshire primary

On Tuesday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) clinched a plurality of the vote in New Hampshire, winning the coveted "first in the nation" primary according to projections from NBC News and ABC News.

Sanders has recently managed to secure a modest lead in polling averages nationally, driven mainly by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg winning over voters previously backing former Vice President Joe Biden, whose numbers have dropped in recent days. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), as well as South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, were heavily vying for a strong showing as well, with polls in the lead-up all giving them a reasonable chance of second place.

The New Hampshire result comes on the heels of last week's Iowa caucuses, which were widely criticized for chaos and irregularities in reporting. Buttigieg very narrowly took a plurality of delegates in that contest, although Sanders won a majority of overall caucusgoers.

The presidential primaries now move to Nevada, which will be holding its caucus next.