Klobuchar tops 2020 Democrats in first three NH villages to cast ballots

by Zack Budryk - 02/11/20 8:29 AM ET

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led the 2020 Democratic presidential field in three small villages where the first ballots were cast overnight in New Hampshire’s primary, receiving a total of eight votes.

The Minnesota senator received two votes in Millsfield, while former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg each received one vote, WMUR reported.

In Hart’s Location, Klobuchar led with six votes, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) with four, entrepreneur Andrew Yang with three, Sanders with two, and Biden, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and businessman Tom Steyer with one each.

Sanders has led the Democratic field in the Granite State in most polls ahead of Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary, but Klobuchar has seen increased crowd sizes in the past week as well as polling indicating a possible third-place finish in the state behind the Vermont senator and Buttigieg. Her campaign said she raised $1 million during Friday’s Democratic debate and another $3 million over the weekend.

In Dixville Notch, which has kicked off midnight voting for the last several decades, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is not on the ballot, led with two write-in votes from Democrats, with Sanders and Buttigieg each receiving one vote. Bloomberg also received one write-in vote in Dixville Notch’s Republican primary.

The unincorporated area’s midnight vote was initially at risk earlier this year due to concerns that it did not have the minimum of five registered voters required for the tradition, but a new resident registered to vote in January, the TV station reported.

President Trump was the top vote-getter among Republicans in the other villages, with 15 votes in Hart’s Location, WMUR noted. Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld had four votes there, and New Hampshire native Mary Maxwell had one.

Trump led in Millsfield as well, with 16 votes. Weld had one.

Updated at 8:35 a.m.