MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night, pulling out a stunning victory over Sen. Barack Obama in a contest that she had been forecast to lose.
On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and climbed back into contention for their party's presidential nomination.
Obama had beaten Clinton, who has been the national front-runner, in the Iowa caucuses last week, and he had appeared to be poised for victory in New Hampshire with tracking polls showing him surging into the lead.
But with 63 percent of Democrats precincts reporting Tuesday night, Clinton had 39 percent of the vote to 36 percent for Obama, who is seeking to become the nation's first black president. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina trailed with 17 percent.
Polling place interviews showed that the female vote — which deserted the former first lady when she finished third in last week's Iowa caucuses — was solidly in Clinton's New Hampshire column.
The former first lady also was winning handily among registered Democrats. Obama led her by an even larger margin among independents.
Despite running a distant third to his better-funded rivals, Edwards had no plans to step aside. He pointed toward the South Carolina primary on Jan. 26, hoping to prevail in the state where he was born — and where he claimed his only victory in the presidential primaries four years ago.
We've got a slug-fest taking place between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
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