Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders actually tied among registered Democrats

Hillary Clinton lost big in New Hampshire, tied among Democrats — (Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is the longest-serving political independent in Congress, so perhaps it's no surprise that he won the support of independents who voted in the New Hampshire Democratic primary by nearly a 3-to-1 margin, 72 percent to 27 percent, over Hillary Clinton, according to exit polls. But those independents, who made up 40 percent of voters in the Democratic primary, also accounted for Sanders' sizable margin of victory. Among registered Democrats, Sanders and Clinton spit the vote, 49 percent to 49 percent.

Overall, the voters who participated in the caucus were more liberal than in previous years, with 26 percent calling themselves very liberal, 42 percent somewhat liberal, and only 27 percent politically moderate. Sanders won among female voters and every age bracket except for those 65 and older, and trounced Clinton among voters who consider the most important candidate quality that he "cares about me" and is "honest and trustworthy"; Clinton won heavily among voters who listed "can win in November" and "has the right experience" as the most important attribute.

On the Republican side, primary winner Donald Trump and runner-up John Kasich also both outperformed with independents, with Trump winning 38 percent and Kasich 18 percent, according to the exit polls. Independents made up 35 percent of the GOP electorate, and "without these votes, second place in the Republican primary would be a virtual tie among Mr. Kasich, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Sen. Ted Cruz," notes David R. Jones at The New York Times.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.