Trump, Sanders projected primary winners

Two candidates once considered long shots in the US presidential race pulled ahead of their establishment rivals on Tuesday to easily achieve victory in the New Hampshire primary election.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democrat, won by a clear margin against his more famous rival, former Secretary of State and ex-First Lady Hillary Clinton.

On the Republican side, businessman Donald Trump took around 33 percent of the votes, beating out rivals with a long track record in US politics, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush.

Vying for Second

For observers supporting establishment Republicans like Bush, the fight for second place was just as significant as who won first place.

Governor of Ohio John Kasich held an early lead it the race for the second spot, followed by Bush and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

For Trump supporters, the billionaire's victory is a vindication of sorts after his defeat at the hands of Cruz in Iowa. Meanwhile, Sander's decisive victory reaffirms his position as a formidable rival for Clinton, once seen as the inevitable Democratic nominee.

New Hampshire, a state of 1.3 million people is the first state in the US to cast ballots in a primary. More than 40 percent of the voters there are independents.

blc/bw (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)