After Virtual Tie In Iowa, Pete Buttigieg Looks For His Breakout Moment In New Hampshire

MERRIMACK, N.H. ― Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) finished in a near tie in the bungled Iowa caucuses on Monday night, pending outstanding votes that have yet to be reported and a possible audit by the Iowa Democratic Party.

But unlike Sanders, who has broader appeal among Democratic primary voters, the former South Bend mayor’s chances of winning the presidential nomination could depend on victory in not only Iowa but also New Hampshire.

Polls have consistently shown that Buttigieg supporters are disproportionately made up of highly educated white Democrats, something that could pose a challenge to his campaign in the more diverse nominating states of Nevada and South Carolina later this month. That makes the New Hampshire primary even more critical to Buttigieg’s campaign. A victory next Tuesday would solidify his position in the race and help sustain his operation through Super Tuesday in early March and beyond.

Addressing voters at a forum focused on veterans issues on Thursday, Buttigieg seemed to acknowledge he was in for another kind of fight in a historically unpredictable state that prides itself on its independent-mindedness.

“I’m humbled by the fact New Hampshire is New Hampshire. It’s not the kind of place to let Iowa or anyone else tell you what to do,” Buttigieg said at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Merrimack.

There is evidence that Buttigieg has picked up momentum in New Hampshire over the past week. Sanders continues to lead the Democratic field with 25% support, but Buttigieg is closing in with a 19% showing, according to a CBS Boston tracking poll released Wednesday. In fact, the same poll showed Buttigieg surging 8 points over the past three days.

A clear win in New Hampshire could give Buttigieg what he didn’t receive after Iowa: a full boost of momentum that he (and Sanders) would have had if the caucus results had come out earlier and the process hadn’t had so many problems. The true winner in Iowa now may never be known.

Undecided voters who lined up outside Buttigieg’s event on Thursday said they were curious to see how he stacked up against the other candidates, citing his charisma and strength on the debate stage as appealing characteristics in a possible Democratic nominee to take on President Donald Trump.

They also said they were more drawn to him because of how well he did in the Hawkeye State.

“I didn’t really know a whole lot about him prior to that,” said a 47-year-old Nashua man who identified himself only as Gary.

Kirk Searle said he wanted to know whether Buttigieg is “the guy who can beat Trump.” Searle, a retiree from Milford, added: “How moderate is he? How outlandish of spending plans does he have, and if so, how he thinks it’s going to fly in the general election? Winning the nomination is one thing. My fear is that if someone like Bernie or Warren gets the nomination it’s going to drive a lot of folks like me [into not voting].”

Schoolteacher Steve Facques said he was trying to decide whether to support Buttigieg or former Vice President Joe Biden, who finished in a disappointing fourth place in Iowa and who also needs a standout performance in New Hampshire to revive his struggling campaign.

Facques, who teaches in Bedford, said he was turned off somewhat by Biden’s recent comments calling into question Buttigieg’s qualifications. Biden had warned that it would be a “risk” to nominate someone who “has never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people in Indiana.”

“That gets underneath my skin,” Facques said of the comments on Thursday, adding that he was leaning toward supporting Buttigieg. But he also chided the former mayor for declaring victory in Iowa in a speech on Monday night before any results had even been reported to the public.

Buttigieg’s attempt to seize an early victory also caught the attention of Sanders, who held a press conference in New Hampshire on Thursday to discuss the outcome of the caucuses. The Vermont senator conceded that although he and Buttigieg both had a good showing in Iowa, what mattered more was his apparent popular vote lead.

“A margin of 6,000 votes is pretty decisive,” Sanders said at a press conference, referring to the latest figures.

No matter who ends up being officially declared a winner, however, it’s clear both Buttigieg and Sanders have already benefited in the crucial race for fundraising. Sanders announced Thursday that his campaign had raised more than $25 million in the month of January. Buttigieg’s campaign, meanwhile, announced it had raised nearly $3 million just since the Iowa caucuses on Monday.

The race is expected to sharpen ahead of next week’s primary, with a debate in downtown Manchester on Friday and dozens of campaign stops over the weekend. Several candidates have already begun throwing elbows.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.