Overnight Campaign: Presidential races turn to New Hampshire

by Jonathan Easley - 02/02/16 5:47 PM ET

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN, your daily rundown from The Hill on all the latest news in the White House, Senate and House races.

The Iowa caucuses aren’t even 24 hours in the rearview mirror but distant in the minds of candidates, who flooded New Hampshire on Tuesday for the home-stretch before the first-in-the-nation primary next week.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump begins the week as the heavy favorite, but suddenly faces questions about his ability to turn the energy around his campaign into hard votes.

Political watchers will be keeping a close eye on any signs that the GOP establishment is coalescing around Marco Rubio, whose surprise showing at the caucuses puts the wind at his back going into New Hampshire.

Ted Cruz, fresh off his victory at the Iowa caucuses, is making a low-stakes play for New Hampshire, even if he doesn’t seem a natural fit for the state.

Meanwhile, three Republican governors – Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie – face a reckoning that will determine whether they move on or pack up.

Check The Hill later tonight for the dispatch from Niall Stanage and Jonathan Easley.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders faces a must-win contest in New Hampshire after he and Hillary Clinton fought to a historically close finish in Iowa.

The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Ben Kamisar have the story.

RACE TO 1600 PENN

WINNERS AND LOSERS: The Hill’s Niall Stanage reports: Here is who gained the most and lost the most from Monday night’s Iowa caucuses.

RESHUFFLING: The Hill contributor Matt Mackowiak writes: The Iowa caucuses have turned the GOP presidential contest into a three-man race.

FLIP OF A COIN: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: The Iowa Democratic caucuses were too close to call on Election Day, but the race has finally been called in favor of Hillary Clinton by the closest of margins. Several precincts were decided by a coin toss, reports The Hill’s Lisa Hagen.

DEBATE DRAMA: The Hill’s Rebecca Savransky reports: Bernie Sanders won’t participate in Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate unless Hillary Clinton agrees to more debates in the future.

NOT FINISHED: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: The Sanders campaign will maintain a presence in Iowa in hopes of picking off Hillary Clinton’s delegates in the state.

KING CORN: The Hill’s Devin Henry reports: Ted Cruz’s victory in Iowa threatens ethanol’s power.

DIRTY TRICKS: The Hill’s Harper Neidig reports: Ted Cruz has apologized to Ben Carson after the Texas Republican’s supporters at precincts across Iowa told caucus-goers on Monday night that Carson was dropping out of the race and they should throw their support behind Cruz. The apology comes after the Cruz campaign initially denied any wrongdoing.

ENDORSE: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Former Sen. Scott Brown will endorse Donald Trump for president at a rally on tonight.

ODDS AND ENDS:

THE CRUZ SCREAM: The Hill’s Rebecca Savranksy reports: Donald Trump is calling Ted Cruz’s “rambling” Iowa caucuses victory speech his “Howard Dean moment.”

2008 REDUX?: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: Bill Clinton says he’s not worried about Hillary Clinton facing the same fate she did in 2008 because Bernie Sanders is no Barack Obama.

SURE IT WAS CLOSE, BUT. . . : The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: The Clinton campaign, which squeezed out victory in Iowa by only a few votes, is arguing that “it’s a lot better to win.”

EL RUSHBO: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Rush Limbaugh is on the Marco Rubio train, lauding the Florida Republican as a “full-throated conservative.”

RECORD TURNOUT: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is crowing about the heavy participation at the Iowa caucuses, saying the GOP election has “electrified” the nation.

STAYING ON THE SIDELINES: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: The most coveted endorsement on the Democratic side might belong to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who said Tuesday she’s not not ready to wade into the primary fight.

FIGHT FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Chris Christie is blasting Marco Rubio as “the boy in the bubble.”

MAYBE SOMEDAY YOU’LL BE HERE: The Hill’s Jordan Fabian reports: The White House applauded Hillary Clinton for her narrow victory over Bernie Sanders at the Iowa caucuses.

HYPE MAN: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Former House majority leader Eric Cantor, a Jeb Bush supporter, says Trump is not living up to the hype.

THINNING HERD: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, suspended his campaign on Monday night after a dismal showing. Also punched out after the caucuses: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

POLL POSITION

ON TO NEW HAMPSHIRE: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: A new poll taken before the Iowa caucuses finds Trump with a 24 point lead over Cruz in New Hampshire.

THE DAILY TRUMP

UNSOLICITED ADVICE: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Trump supporter Sarah Palin said the billionaire businessman might have won the Iowa caucuses if he’s shown his conservative side.

THERE HE IS: The HIll’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Donald Trump went dark for an unprecedented 15 hours after the Iowa caucuses before finally returning to Twitter on Tuesday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you vote for Trump as a Republican, you’re buying a ticket on the Titanic after you saw the movie. Don’t do that.”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Jeb Bush supporter

CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS

LAST CHANCE: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen and Mike Lillis report: Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) will not challenge his House colleagues Chris Van Hollen and Donna Edwards for the open Senate seat in the state, passing on what could be his last shot at the upper chamber.

POLITICAL CALCULATION: The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports: Mitch McConnell will seek to protect his majority in the Senate by holding back several divisive measures even though they have bipartisan support.

MONEY WATCH

IN THE CROSS-HAIRS: The Hill’s Ben Kamisar reports: A pro-Hillary Clinton super-PAC, which ended the year with $45 million in cash, is steering its considerable resources into attack ads against Trump and Cruz.

WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW:

(All times Eastern)

Donald Trump holds a rally in Milford, N.H. at 7 tonight and one in Little Rock, Ark., at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Ted Cruz will hold a rally in South Carolina at 6:30 p.m. today and will appear on “Hannity” at 10 p.m. on Fox News. He has five events planned across New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Jeb Bush holds a town hall in Hanover, N.H., at 7 p.m. today and has four campaign events in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

John Kasich has a town hall at 6 p.m. on today in Plymouth, N.H., and will appear on “Hannity” at 10 p.m. on Fox News. He has four events planned across the state on Wednesday.

Hillary Clinton is joined by Gabby Giffords at a 7 p.m. get out the vote events in Hampton, N.H., today. She will be interviewed on “Hardball with Chris Matthews” that airs on MSNBC between 7 and 8 p.m. today. She has three events in the state on Wednesday.

Bernie Sanders holds a rally in Claremont, N.H., at 6 p.m. today.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton will take questions from audience members at a Derry, N.H., town hall on CNN from 8-11 p.m. Wednesday.

Chris Christie holds a town hall in Londonderry, N.H. at 6 p.m. today and will appear on “Hannity” at 10 p.m. on Fox News. He has three campaign events in the state on Wednesday.

Marco Rubio will be a guest on “The Kelly File” at 9 p.m. on Fox News today. He has four campaign events in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Rand Paul has a campaign event in Salem, N.H. on Wednesday.

Carly Fiorina holds a campaign event in Londonderry, N.H. on Wednesday

Ben Carson is a guest on “The O’Reilly Factor” at 8 p.m. today on Fox News.

TWEET OF THE DAY

The media has not covered my long-shot great finish in Iowa fairly. Brought in record voters and got second highest vote total in history!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2016