Republican candidates Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders cruised to early victories in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich is projected to finish second in the GOP race.
The results extend his biggest advantage: a deeply divided opposition. They all but ensure that several mainstream Republicans will remain in the race — perhaps even long enough for Trump to take a big delegate lead on Super Tuesday, March 1.
As recently as a few days ago, New Hampshire seemed as if it could produce the opposite effect. Marco Rubio had just taken a strong third in the Iowa caucuses, and a handful of polls showed him moving into the upper teens and into a strong second place in New Hampshire.
Instead, Rubio fared poorly in the last debate. He is currently in fifth place in the New Hampshire returns, trailing John Kasich, who is currently in second place, Ted Cruz and even Jeb Bush by a meaningful margin.
