Gov. Pawlenty will be visiting New Hampshire next month.

(CNN) - Next month, Gov. Tim Pawlenty is heading to New Hampshire, the latest presidential proving ground the Minnesota Republican will have visited this fall.

Pawlenty will keynote a $50-per-person fundraiser for the state's Republican Senate Majority Committee in Concord on December 16 in what could be seen as an effort to build early support in the key primary state.

The planned trip comes on the heels of a foray to Iowa last weekend, where Pawlenty headlined the state GOP's annual leadership dinner, one of the two major annual events for the state party.

Pawlenty announced this past summer he would not seek a second gubernatorial term in 2012, fueling speculation he is setting his sights on a presidential bid instead.

The governor also rolled out a new political action committee in October and announced a fleet of new advisers, several of whom advised Pawlenty's likely 2012 rival - former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney - during his 2008 presidential bid.

Former President Bill Clinton will headline a major fundraiser for the New Hampshire Democratic Party in December.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former President Bill Clinton will headline a major fundraiser for the New Hampshire Democratic Party in December, giving a little back to a state that has favored his family when it comes to politics.

Ray Buckley, chair of the state Democratic Party, announced Monday that Clinton would appear at the Dec. 2 Jefferson Jackson Dinner, a $100 per person fundraiser.

For Clinton, New Hampshire has played a key role in his family's political career. His second place showing in the New Hampshire Primary, at a time when he was battling allegations of infidelity, helped put Clinton on course to win the 1992 Democratic nomination and eventually the presidency. And it was a New Hampshire Primary victory in 2008 that breathed new life into then-New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic nomination following a poor, third place showing in the Iowa caucuses.

While no longer an elected official, the former president continues to make news. In an interview this week on NBC's "Meet the Press," Clinton said that he believes a "vast right wing conspiracy" still exists. "It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulrent as it was" during his time in the White House, Clinton said.

With an open Senate seat and an open House seat, New Hampshire is expected to be a major battleground in the 2010 congressional elections.

Follow Mark Preston on Twitter: @prestoncnn

The President held a town hall on health care with voters in New Hampshire Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (CNN) - President Barack Obama complained Tuesday about opposition scare tactics against a proposed health-care overhaul, but said failing to fix problems in the current system would be the scariest outcome of all.

Obama addressed a supportive town hall meeting here that contrasted with combative events held by Democratic Congress members that have generated heated and sometimes disruptive responses. Earlier Tuesday, a hostile crowd shouted questions and made angry statements against proposed health-care legislation at a Pennsylvania meeting led by Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter.

Obama and Democratic leaders have accused opponents of health-care changes of organizing protests intended to drown out the debate, while Republicans respond the public anger is a genuine response to what they call excessive and misguided legislation.

In New Hampshire, Obama welcomed a "vigorous" debate as part of the democratic process, but said people should talk "with each other and not over each other." He criticized "wild misrepresentations" by special interests trying to undermine health-care legislation before Congress.

In particular, Obama rejected rumors that a health-care bill passed by a House committee included setting up so-called "death panels" to decide if senior citizens get treatment. He called spreading such rumors a long-standing practice by opponents of health-care reform, such as "those who profit under the status quo."

"What is really scary, what is really risky, is to do nothing," Obama said, noting that premiums paid for health-care coverage were rising three times faster than wages and that the government-run Medicare program for senior citizens would run out of money within a decade.

In a new twist at such forums, Obama specifically asked for questions from opponents of health-care legislation to address issues of concern.

He repeated past guarantees that a health-care overhaul won't force anyone to give up health insurance they like and won't cut Medicare benefits, and he stood by his election pledge that he won't raise taxes on people making less than $250,000 a year.

At the same time, Obama defended his call for a government-funded public health insurance option to compete against private insurers. He said such an option would hold down rates, rejecting accusations it amounted to a government takeover of health care because private companies can't compete with a government-funded plan.

"UPS and FedEx are doing just fine," Obama said, referring to private courier services that compete with the U.S. Postal Service. "It's the Post Office that's always having problems."

The atmosphere was different at Specter's morning event in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where angry questioners made emotional statements against health-care proposals that they likened to a socialist takeover of the country. One man who shouted an unsolicited comment was shoved by another, prompting Specter to intervene while warning that those disrupting the meeting would be thrown out.

Videos of other protests circulating on the Internet show raucous crowds heckling their representatives in Congress and carrying posters with devil horns drawn on lawmakers' heads, swastikas, or Obama with Adolf Hitler's mustache drawn on his face.

The White House has launched what it calls a Health Insurance Reform Reality Check Web site designed to combat what the administration considers misinformation about the issue. The Web page features Obama aides discussing various aspects of health-care reform.

However, the Web site prompted Republican complaints that Obama's government would use it to compile a list of enemies. Obama rejected that accusation too.

He called a health-care overhaul essential for ensuring long-term economic stability while ensuring that that virtually all Americans have access to health insurance.

"The status quo is not working for you," Obama said to applause.

Congressional action on a health-care overhaul has slowed due to strong Republican opposition. Neither chamber met Obama's desired goal of passing a bill before their August recess.

In particular, Republicans and some Democrats reject the proposed public option, which they believe will lead to a government takeover of the health-care system and prove too costly.

President Obama is speaking right now with voters about health care in New Hampshire.

(CNN) - As the debate over health care reform heats up, President Obama is holding a town hall on the topic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire Tuesday.

Watch it now on CNN.com/live.

Related: Obama dives into health care reform fray

Related video: Obama to give facts, aide says

Similar meetings by congressional members in recent weeks have generated heated and sometimes disruptive debate, demonstrating the high emotions and
political stakes involved in an issue that will affect every American.

Democrats have accused opponents of health-care changes of organizing protests intended to drown out the debate, while Republicans respond the public anger is a genuine response to what they call excessive and misguided legislation.

Videos of some protests circulating on the Internet show raucous crowds heckling their representatives in Congress and carrying posters with devil horns drawn on lawmakers' heads, swastikas or Obama with Adolf Hitler's mustache.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who had a town hall meeting disrupted by angry protesters earlier this month, said he had never experienced such emotion in his 15 years of holding such forums.

Democratic Rep. Brad Miller of North Carolina even had a death threat phoned into his office. A caller said that if Miller supported Obama's plan, it could cost him his life, Miller told CNN.

Obama, just back from a North American summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada, seeks to focus the discussion on specifics of Democratic proposals that have cleared committees in both the House and Senate.

He and other Democratic leaders complain that Republican opponents and right-wing political commentators are spreading misinformation about the proposed legislation.

In his weekend radio address, Obama sought to dispel what he called "the outlandish rumors that reform will promote euthanasia, cut Medicaid or bring about a government takeover of health care. That's simply not true."

Republicans respond that the outrage is real, not manufactured.

"These are average Americans that are concerned about this long litany of borrowing and spending and bailouts and government takeover of one industry after another. And this government takeover of health care is just the last straw for many Americans," Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, told "Fox News" Monday.

The White House has launched what it calls a Health Insurance Reform Reality Check Web site designed to combat what the administration considers misinformation about the issue. The Web page features Obama aides discussing various aspects of health care reform.

Obama calls a health-care overhaul essential for ensuring long-term economic stability. However, congressional action on a health-care overhaul has slowed due to strong Republican opposition. Neither chamber met Obama's desired goal of passing a bill before their August recess.

In particular, the Republicans and some Democrats reject a government-funded public health insurance option, which they believe will lead to a government takeover of the health-care system. Most Democrats want a public option to ensure coverage is available to virtually all Americans and provide competition to private insurers.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – National Democrats wasted no time in accusing Sarah Palin of abandoning her state after the Alaska governor revealed Friday that she was resigning from office.

Five days later and 4,600 miles away, the New Hampshire Democratic Party chairman is leveling the same charge against New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who announced Tuesday she would soon leave office to explore a Senate bid in 2010.

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley's sharp criticism of Ayotte is not surprising – he is trying to discredit, perhaps, the strongest candidate the Republican Party could field in this open seat race next year. But what is interesting is that Buckley compared Ayotte to Palin.

"We're seeing a national trend where Republicans have abandoned their responsibilities to their constituents in favor of political gain," Buckley wrote Tuesday in a fundraising message sent to the state party's e-mail list. "From Alaska to New Hampshire, Republicans just can't seem to honor their commitment to the public. Not unlike Sarah Palin, Kelly Ayotte has broken her promise to the people she represents and put politics before public service."

While Republicans debate what role Palin might have in the party, some Democrats believe that she is a political liability for the GOP. And a top Democratic operative, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that going forward Democrats "won't be shy in tying Sarah Palin to other Republican candidates where it makes sense."

(CNN) – The first woman to serve as New Hampshire attorney general announced Tuesday that she's stepping down in order to explore a run for the U.S. Senate.

"Recently, many New Hampshire citizens have urged me to run for United States Senate," Republican Kelly Ayotte said in a statement. "I appreciate their confidence in me. After discussing this matter with my husband, Joe, and our family, I have decided to resign as Attorney General in order to explore a campaign for the United States Senate."

Ayotte has served as New Hampshire's attorney general for five years. She was first appointed to the post by Republican Gov. Craig Benson, and later re-appointed by Democrat and current Gov. John Lynch.

The seat she may run for is currently held by Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, who is not running for re-election next year. Last week, former Republican Sen. John Sununu announced he would not run for Gregg's seat.

Ayotte says her resignation takes effect on Friday July 17, and that she'll discuss her future political plans after she leaves the Attorney General's office.

"Kelly Ayotte has been an effective Attorney General on behalf of the people of New Hampshire, and we are pleased that she is considering opportunities that many could not have anticipated even months ago. Clearly Kelly Ayotte will be a formidable candidate for the U.S. Senate if she decides to run," said Amber Wilkerson, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

According to a University of New Hampshire Granite State poll conducted over the past two weeks, 45 percent of voters in the state have a favorable view of Ayotte, with 8 percent holding an unfavorable opinion, and four out of 10 unsure. The same survey suggests that in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup with a probable Democratic candidate, Rep. Paul Hodes, Ayotte leads 39 percent to 35 percent - which is within the poll's 4.4 percent samping error - with 24 percent unsure.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's term expires in 2011.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has a busy week of political travel ahead of him, sparking chatter that he's collecting chits for 2012 presidential run.

Barbour - a widely-respected figure among party insiders who will wrap up his second term, conveniently, in 2011 - is visiting a trio of important states this week, beginning on Monday in Virginia, where he's campaigning for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.

On Wednesday, he'll work his southern charm up north in Bedford, New Hampshire at a fundraising reception for the state GOP. And on Thursday, he's speaking at another state party fundraiser in the pivotal caucus state of Iowa.

Matt Strawn, the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, said Barbour was invited to speak at their "Night of the Rising Stars" in Des Moines, in part, because Barbour knocked off a Democratic incumbent to claim the governorship in 2003. Iowa Republicans are trying hoping for a similar result against Democrat Chet Culver next year.

"Haley has a message that will resonate with Iowa Republicans, capturing a governorship and providing competent and common sense conservative leadership," Strawn said.

Barbour, a 61-year old native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is a former lobbyist and Republican National Committee chairman who won the governorship in 2003 and was easily re-elected in 2007. Even with a Democratic legislature, he has governed as a strong fiscal and social conservative, although he did sign into law a cigarette tax increase in May.

He won praise earlier this year from many conservatives for opposing millions in federal stimulus cash devoted to unemployment benefits, which he said would force states to raise taxes when the money runs out. That stance is shared by McDonnell, the man he is campaigning with in Virginia today.

McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said Barbour can speak about his "great record" on job creation, energy development, and education reform - three pressing issues in the Virginia race. "So as Bob talks about how he will lead in Virginia, certainly Governor Barbour's model is one to look to," Martin said.

Jared Leopold, a spokesman for McDonnell's Democratic rival Creigh Deeds, countered that Barbour is an "old-style" cheerleader for the policies of George W. Bush.

Barbour helped raise $250,000 for McDonnell's campaign on Monday.

The official line on Barbour's travel is that his trips are in his role as a prominent GOP leader and as the Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. The Virginia's governor's mansion is the big political prize of 2009, and Iowa and New Hampshire both have gubernatorial races next year.

But politicians - especially sitting governors - rarely end up in Iowa and New Hampshire by coincidence, and Barbour is considered one of savviest political minds in his party. He has already lent his voice to the National Council for a New America, a Republican effort help re-brand the national party. The group includes other possible candidates like Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal and John Thune.

According to one of Barbour's longtime political confidantes, a 2012 run could be in the cards. But the adviser noted that Barbour is also a political junkie: as a former party chairman, he enjoys meeting with state parties and new candidates around the country to talk about upcoming elections.

"I think Haley is probably like a lot of other governors and senators who think, 'I could be that guy or gal who could lead the party,' and it may be that Haley is the person," said the confidante, who requested anonymity to speak freely about Barbour's ambitions. "But first-things-first. This year, and 2010, is first-things. Let's tend to those and then we'll see about 2012."

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signed a bill Wednesday legalizing same-sex marriage in his state.

(CNN) - New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signed same-sex marriage into law Wednesday night.

The bill, which passed the House 198-176 on Wednesday, also was approved by the state Senate 14-10.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - the nation's primary lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy and anti-defamation organization - applauded Lynch's decision.

"Gov. Lynch's signing of the marriage equality bill grants legal protections for same-sex couples in New Hampshire to take care of and be responsible for each other," said the organization's president, Neil Giuliano.

"As people get to know the loving and committed couples at the heart of marriage equality, our culture is moving to equality."

Both chambers had previously voted to approve same-sex marriage but Lynch said he would sign the bill into law only if the legislature added new language to protect religious institutions that did not want to perform such marriages.

"We can and must treat both same-sex couples and people of certain religious traditions with respect and dignity," Lynch had said. "I believe this proposed language will accomplish both of these goals."

The Democratic governor said that in recent months he had spoken to lawmakers, religious leaders and constituents as he formed his opinion on the bill.

New Hampshire becomes the sixth state in the nation - alongside Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa and Vermont - currently providing or soon to provide marriage benefits to gays and lesbians.

Vermont's law takes effect September 1 and Maine's September 14, unless its citizens collect enough signatures to put the measure on the fall ballot in the state. New Hampshire's new law takes effect on January 1, 2010.

New Hampshire and Maine are the only states in the nation where representatives elected by voters approved same-sex marriage legislation. The others were decided by high court decisions, although legislatures in Vermont and Connecticut subsequently passed measures codifying the court rulings.

Marry Mo Baxley, executive director of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry told CNN, "We're so very proud of our elected officials. We've taken our grievances to our elected officials, and they've responded."

Still, married gay couples do not share federal benefits such as Social Security, tax breaks and immigration benefits that are granted to straight married couples. Baxley is counting on President Barack Obama to make those changes.

"He said he would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and we fully expect him to keep that promise," she said.

Even amongst the excitement, GLAAD president Giuliano remained cautious, referring to the topic of gay marriage benefits as one "that will be a future debate and a future conversation that we'll be having in this country for quite a while."

(CNN) – New Hampshire's move to become the most recent state to legalize same-sex marriage hit a road bump Wednesday, after the legislature's House of Representatives failed to agree to changes made by the governor.

Both the House and Senate already had approved allowing gay couples to marry.

But Gov. John Lynch, a three-term Democrat, said last week he would sign a same-sex marriage bill only if it provides "the strongest and clearest protections for religious institutions and associations, and for the individuals working with such institutions."

Lynch said any such measure needs to "make clear that (clergy and other religious officials) cannot be forced to act in ways that violate their deeply held religious principles."

The House on Wednesday fell just two votes short of approving Lynch's language, 186-188.

The chamber then voted to send the legislation to a committee to be considered further.

The language would specify that religious organizations can decline to take part in any marriage ceremony without incurring fines or risking lawsuits.

New Hampshire's movement in the gay marriage debate is part of a flurry of recent activity surrounding the issue.

On May 6, same-sex marriage became legal in Maine, as Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill less than an hour after the state legislature approved it.

The District of Columbia voted May 5 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, though it does not itself give marriage licenses to gay or lesbian couples.

Meanwhile, New York Gov. David Paterson introduced legislation in April to make same-sex marriage legal in the Empire State. A similar bill died in the state Senate in 2007.

Iowa's Supreme Court ruled unanimously on April 3 that it is illegal to discriminate against same-sex couples by denying them the right to marry. The first gay marriages in the state took place April 27.

A total of four states - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Iowa - currently allow same-sex marriages. A Vermont law making gay and lesbian marriages legal takes effect in September.

California's state Supreme Court issued a ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in May 2008, and some 18,000 gay and lesbian couples got married in the Golden State. But California voters in November approved Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban gay marriage.

That state's high court heard arguments earlier this year about whether Proposition 8 was itself constitutional. It has not yet issued a verdict.

A slim majority of Americans are against legal recognition for same-sex marriage, CNN polling found last month. Fifty-four percent of adults questioned in an April 23-26 nationwide CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, while 44 percent said they should be considered legal.

But there was a huge gap between the opinions of younger and older people, with younger people far more likely to approve of gay marriage. Nearly six in 10 people ages 18 to 34 said same-sex marriages should be legal. Just over four in 10 people ages 35 to 49 agreed, and the number was similar for 50- to 64-year olds. Only 24 percent of people 65 and older agreed.

The survey's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

(CNN) - New Hampshire Gov. Jon Lynch said Thursday that he will sign into law a bill allowing same-sex couples to wed - but only after the state legislature agrees to his terms.

"This morning, I met with House and Senate leaders, and the sponsors of this legislation, and gave them language that will provide additional protections to religious institutions," he said in a statement. "This new language will provide the strongest and clearest protections for religious institutions and associations, and for the individuals working with such institutions.

"...But following that tradition means we must act to protect both the liberty of same-sex couples and religious liberty. In their current form, I do not believe these bills accomplish those goals."

Lynch said if the state legislature passes the new language, he will sign the bill into law. Otherwise, he will veto the measure.

"We can and must treat both same-sex couples and people of certain religious traditions with respect and dignity," he said. "I believe this proposed language will accomplish both of these goals and I urge the legislature to pass it."

Lynch said he has spent the past weeks and months speaking to lawmakers, religious leaders and constituents in order to form his decision after New Hampshire's Legislature voted to approved same-sex marriages in the state.

The Granite State will, if approved by the governor, become the sixth state in the nation - alongside Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa and Vermont - to provide marriage benefits to gays and lesbians.

"Given the cultural, historical and religious significance of the word marriage, this is a meaningful change," he said.

"I have heard, and I understand, the very real feelings of same-sex couples that a separate system is not an equal system. That a civil law that differentiates between their committed relationships and those of heterosexual couples undermines both their dignity and the legitimacy of their families."

(CNN) - New Hampshire lawmakers on Wednesday passed a same-sex marriage bill, now headed to Gov. John Lynch.

The state House passed the bill in a 178-167 vote. The Senate last week approved the legislation in a 13-11 vote.

The bill passed Wednesday differed from an earlier bill passed in the House by distinguishing between civil and religious marriage. It allows each religion to decide whether to acknowledge same-sex marriage, but extends the option of civil marriage to any two individuals.

New Hampshire's Senate has approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry.

(CNN) - New Hampshire's Senate has approved a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, but critics and fans of the bill say their work isn't over.

"We were obviously disappointed," Kevin Smith, executive director of the conservative Cornerstone Policy Research Action group, told CNN on Thursday. "We don't think the voters are going to forget about it."

On the other side, members of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition - a group that has worked since 2001 for same-sex marriage - were "absolutely thrilled," said Mo Baxley, the executive director.

But, noting that the bill is returning to the House for it to consider changes made by the Senate, Baxley added, "I think the work continues." Her organization will encourage its supporters to contact their representatives ahead of the House vote, she said.

On Wednesday, the state Senate voted 13 to 11 in favor of the bill, which differs from the House-approved version in that it distinguishes between civil and religious marriage. It allows each religion to decide whether to acknowledge same-sex marriage, but extends the option of civil marriage to any two individuals, said state Senate spokeswoman Anne Saunders.

The House, which passed the earlier version last month by a margin of seven votes, must approve the changed version before it can be sent to Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat who has questioned the need for the bill.

After the Senate vote, Lynch released a written statement saying he still believes "the fundamental issue is about providing the same rights and protections to same-sex couples as are available to heterosexual couples. This was accomplished through the passage of the civil unions law two years ago."

"To achieve further real progress," he added, "the federal government would need to take action to recognize New Hampshire civil unions."

Earlier this month, the governor said he believes the word "marriage" should be used only to describe a marriage between a man and a woman, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.

"I think the word 'marriage' is reserved for a marriage between a man and a woman, and I think the real issues really are rights and protections for gay and lesbian couples," he told reporters on April 15, according to the newspaper.

Smith said his organization, which was established in 2000, would "lobby hard" to get the governor to veto the bill. He said he expected it to pass the House.

"Look, this is a matter of holding the governor accountable," he said. "He's been very public with his views on same-sex marriage in the state. ... We'll see if he was misleading the voters of New Hampshire or if he'll stand by his word and actually veto it."

Were the bill to become law, New Hampshire would become the fifth state allowing same-sex marriage, joining Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa.

Only Vermont has established the practice legislatively.

–CNN's Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report.

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter announced Monday she would not run for Senate in 2010.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Carol Shea-Porter announced Monday she would not run for Senate in 2010, helping New Hampshire Democrats avert what could have been a divisive primary.

"I thank the many people in New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. who have asked me to run, but I have decided that I do not want to run for the U.S. Senate," she said in a statement. "I love the House of Representatives and the work I am involved in there to help the people of New Hampshire."

Shea-Porter was first elected in 2006, beating Republican Rep. Jeb Bradley by just over 5,100 votes. In 2008, Shea-Porter defeated Bradley again, this time by 20,000-plus votes.

Had Shea-Porter decided to run for Senate, she would have faced off against Rep. Paul Hodes in a fight for the Democratic nomination. Hodes, who was also elected to the House in 2006, has already declared his candidacy for the Senate.

"I have the utmost admiration and respect for Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter," Hodes said in a statement. "I see her stand up and fight for New Hampshire every day, serving alongside her in the House of Representatives. I am honored to call her my colleague and my friend and know she will continue to serve the people of New Hampshire with honor and distinction as their Congresswoman."

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, who withdrew his name from consideration to be President Obama's commerce secretary, is retiring when his term expires in 2010. There is speculation that former Sen. John Sununu, a Republican who was defeated in 2008, is considering running for Gregg's seat.

(CNN) – CNN projects that former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, will defeat Republican first-term incumbent John Sununu in a rematch for the Senate seat in New Hampshire.

The win gives Democrats a majority of 51 in the Senate.

In 2002, Sununu defeated Shaheen in a mid-term election year.

CNN projections are based on actual results and exit poll data from key areas.

(CNN) – Barack Obama is set to win the state of New Hampshire, CNN projects, based on exit polls and partial results.

The Democrat's victory gives him another four electoral votes, bringing his total to 81. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the White House.

Republican John McCain has 34 electoral votes, according to the latest CNN projections

Click here to view the full results in New Hampshire

Lynch holds the NH governor's seat.

(CNN) - CNN projects that Democratic Gov. John Lynch will win re-election to a third term in New Hampshire, defeating Republican challenger Joe Kenney.

CNN's projection is based on actual results and exit poll data from key areas.

(CNN) - A judge ruled in favor of the New Hampshire State Republican party today in a lawsuit that alleged some GOP election observers were prevented from monitoring same day voter registrations. "We are not alleging any malfeasance today," said Fergus Cullen , Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. "The ability to observe some same day registration process was denied by individual polling stations." Cullen told CNN the judge ruled quickly in their favor.

Superior Court Judge Gillian Abramson ruled that poll observers should be situated in an area where they can "meaningfully see and hear each voter."

Matt Normand, Deputy City Clerk for Manchester, New Hampshire, pointed out there are privacy issues surrounding access to voter registration tables because sensitive material- such as social security numbers and driver's license could be compromised.

Dixville Notch residents are the first to weigh in.

(CNN) - The first wave of election returns won't flow in until 7 p.m. ET Tuesday night, but the results in one precinct will be known much sooner.

Dixville Notch, an isolated village located in New Hampshire's northeast corner, will begin voting at the stroke of 12 a.m. Tuesday, and the ballots won't take long to tally: Dixville Notch only has about 20 registered voters.

The town, home to around 75 residents, has opened its polls shortly after midnight each election day since 1960, drawing national media attention for being the first place in the country to make its presidential preferences known - although since 1996, another small New Hampshire town, Hart's Location,reinstated its practice from the 1940s and also opens its polls at midnight.

But the result in Dixville Notch is hardly a reliable bellwether for the eventual winner of the White House or even the result statewide. Though New Hampshire is a perennial swing state, Dixville Notch consistently leans Republican - the last Democrat it picked was Hubert Humphrey over Richard Nixon in 1968.

President Bush also won the town in a landslide in the last two elections: He captured 73 percent of the vote in 2004 (19 residents picked Bush while six preferred Sen. John Kerry), and secured 80 percent of the vote in 2000 (21 votes for Bush, 5 votes for Al Gore.)

But the result could be close this year given Democrats now outnumber Republicans there. According to Donna Kaye Erwin, the supervisor of the voter checklist, Dixville Notch has five registered Democrats, four Republicans, and 11 undeclared voters.

The result could also be a nail biter given the town picked both John McCain and Barack Obama for the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican primaries last January. McCain ultimately won the state of New Hampshire, while Hillary Clinton upset Obama there.

Sen. Obama has an advantage over Sen. McCain in 4 of the 5 CNN's latest state polls of polls.

(CNN) – It's down to the wire for Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain as
the two men enter their final weekend of campaigning. With just three days until Election Day, CNN's latest polls of polls shows Obama holding on to leads in a few key battlegrounds — and neck-and-neck with McCain in others.

Obama leads McCain by 12 points in CNN's latest New Hampshire poll of polls. Fifty-three percent of likely voters in New Hampshire support Obama and 41 percent back McCain. Six percent are unsure about their choice for president. In CNN's October 31 New Hampshire poll of polls, Obama led McCain by 15 points - 54 percent compared to 39 percent.

Obama is also ahead in Wisconsin, where CNN's latest poll of polls in the state gives him an 11 point lead: Fifty-three percent of voters in Wisconsin support the Illinois senator and 42 percent support the Arizona senator. Five percent of voters in the state are unsure about their choice for president. In CNN's October 30 Wisconsin poll of polls, Obama was ahead by 12 points - 53 percent to 41 percent.

In Colorado, Obama is ahead by 7 points in CNN's latest poll of polls. Fifty-two percent of likely voters in the state support Obama and 45 percent support McCain. Three percent of voters in the state are undecided. In CNN's October 31 Colorado poll of polls, Obama and McCain were also separated by 7 percentage points - 51 percent for Obama and 44 percent for McCain.

Obama holds the slimmest of advantages in Montana in CNN's first poll of polls for the state: Forty-six percent of likely voters in the state back Obama, and 45 percent support McCain. Nine percent of Montana's likely voters are unsure about their choice for president.

The two presidential rivals are tied in CNN's latest Missouri poll of polls. Each man garners support from 48 percent of the state's likely voters. Four percent are unsure about their choice for president. The two men were also tied at 47 percent each in CNN's October 31 Missouri poll of polls.

CNN's latest New Hampshire poll of polls consists of the following three surveys: Research 2000 (October 28-30), ARG (October 28-30), and WMUR/UNH (October 28-30).

CNN's latest Wisconsin poll of polls consists of the following three surveys: University of Wisconsin (October 21-28), Research 2000 (October 27-28), and Big Ten Battleground (October 19-22).

CNN's latest Colorado poll of polls consists of the following three surveys: ARG (October 28-30), Marist (October 27-28), and CNN/Time/ORC (October 23-28).

CNN's first Montana poll of polls consists of the following three surveys: American Research Group (October 28-30), NBC/Mason-Dixon (October 23-25), and Montana State University (October 16-20).

CNN's latest Missouri poll of polls consists of the following three surveys: ARG (October 28-30), CNN/Time/ORC (October 23-28), and Reuters/Zogby (October 23-26).

CNN's state polls of polls do not have sampling errors.

Watch the event on CNN.com/live.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin is holding a campaign event in Dover New Hampshire this hour during which she hit Barack Obama on taxes.

"People here in New Hampshire know you don't have to tax people that much if you would cut down the federal expenditures," Palin said.

Watch the event on CNN.com/live.

(CNN) - Joe Biden held a campaign event in New Hampshire earlier Monday.

Obama makes major gains on the new CNN Electoral Map.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Polls in five key battleground states in the race for the White House released Tuesday suggest that Sen. Barack Obama is making major gains.

The CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls of likely voters in Indiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin reflect a significant nationwide shift toward the Democratic presidential nominee.

Check out the latest CNN Electoral Map

In Indiana, 51 percent of likely voters say Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, is their choice for president, with 46 percent backing Obama. Indiana went for George W. Bush by 21 points four years ago; the Democrats have not carried the state since 1964.

Obama has made significant strides in New Hampshire, a state which is credited with reviving McCain’s GOP primary campaign in both 2000 and 2008. Fifty-three percent of the state’s likely voters are backing Obama, while 45 percent are supporting McCain. Obama’s eight-point lead is larger than the five-point lead held by Obama in the last CNN New Hampshire poll taken in the beginning of September.

Bush squeezed out a slender one-point win in the state in 2000 - but four years ago, John Kerry narrowly carried the one-time GOP stronghold.

In North Carolina, the two major party nominees are locked in a dead heat, with McCain and Obama each claiming the support of 49 percent of likely voters.

“Obama's strongest region is in the Raleigh/Durham area,” noted CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “McCain does best in Charlotte and the surrounding counties.”

The last Democrat to carry North Carolina was Jimmy Carter in 1976. The state’s 15 electoral votes are considered to be critical to any successful Republican presidential campaign.

McCain currently trails Obama by three points in Ohio; 50 percent of likely voters favor Obama, while 47 percent favor McCain. No Republican has won the White House without carrying the state.

“McCain has a six-point lead in the Cincinnati area,” said Holland. “But a GOP candidate normally needs to do better than that in southwestern Ohio in order to win the state. And overall, Obama actually has a two-point edge among suburban communities across the state.”

In Wisconsin, which hasn’t voted Republican since 1984, Obama is holding a 51 to 46 percent lead among likely voters.

“Obama continues to maintain a ‘home field advantage’ in the southern Wisconsin counties that border Illinois,” noted Holland. “He has nearly a 30-point lead in the city of Milwaukee, although he loses the Milwaukee suburbs by nearly as large a margin.”

The new CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls are behind several new shifts in the CNN Electoral College map.

CNN is shifting North Carolina, with 15 electoral votes, from leaning toward McCain to toss-up. CNN is moving Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes, and New Hampshire and its four electoral votes from toss-up to “lean Obama.”

Finally, CNN is switching Michigan and its 17 electoral votes from leaning toward Obama to safe for Obama. The McCain campaign announced last week that it was shifting its resources out of the once hotly-contested Rust Belt state, instead intensify efforts in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.

With these moves, CNN estimates that if the presidential election were held today, Obama would win states with 264 electoral votes and McCain would win states with 174 electoral votes, with 100 electoral votes still up for grabs. To win the White House, 270 electoral votes are needed. Obama’s lead has expanded by 29 electoral votes when compared his margin in CNN’s last electoral map, which was released on October 1.

The CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation polls were conduced October 3-6, with 677 likely voters in Indiana; 813 likely voters in New Hampshire; 666 likely voters in North Carolina; 749 likely voters in Ohio; and 859 likely voters in Wisconsin, all questioned by telephone.

The survey’s sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points in New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin, and plus or minus 4 percentage points in Indiana and North Carolina.

Sen. Obama campaigned in Pennsylvania Friday where he currently holds a 10-point lead over Sen. McCain, according to a new CNN Pennsylvania poll of polls.

(CNN) – A day after the McCain campaign announced that it is shifting resources out of Michigan and into other battleground states, CNN’s latest polls of polls in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania suggest that Sen. John McCain may face an uphill battle in both states between now and Election Day.

Sen. Barack Obama is now ahead in New Hampshire by 6 percentage points. Obama has the support of 48 percent of likely voters in New Hampshire while McCain’s support stands at 42 percent and 10 percent are unsure about their choice for president.

In CNN’s previous New Hampshire poll of polls released on September 26, Obama was up by two points – 46 percent to McCain’s 44 percent.

During the Democratic primaries, Obama lost Pennsylvania to Sen. Hillary Clinton. In CNN’s latest poll of polls, however, Obama leads McCain by 10 percentage points with likely Pennsylvania voters – 51 percent versus 41 percent, with 8 percent unsure. In CNN’s previous Pennsylvania poll of polls released on October 1, Obama also led McCain by 10 points – 49 percent to 39 percent.

“The New Hampshire numbers in particular are a worrisome sign for the McCain campaign,” noted CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib. “Granite State voters saved McCain in the 2000 and 2008 Republican primaries. He’s had high hopes for the state’s four electoral votes in November. But New Hampshire is a state that, like the rest of New England, is increasingly tilting Democratic. At least for now, it looks as if McCain’s personal connection to the state may not be enough. At the same time, Obama’s double-digit lead in Pennsylvania is threatening to keep that state’s 21 electoral votes out of serious contention in the campaign’s final days.”

CNN’s New Hampshire general election poll of polls released Friday is composed of the following three surveys: Research 2000 (September 22-24), Suffolk University (September 21-24), and St. Anselm College Institute of Politics (September 25-30).

CNN’s Pennsylvania general election poll of polls released Friday is composed of the following three surveys: Quinnipiac (September 27-29), Muhlenberg College/Morning Call (September 27 October 1), and Franklin & Marshall (September 23-28).

CNN’s polls of polls do not have a margin of error.

Obama is sharpening attacks against McCain and the GOP.

DOVER, New Hampshire (CNN) – On the first day of what his campaign called the “final stretch,” Barack Obama hammered at John McCain, and repeatedly linked him to President Bush’s policies.

“We can’t afford four more years of what George Bush and John McCain consider progress,” he said at a town hall not far from Portsmouth. “We can’t afford another President who is so out of touch that they think the economy is strong right now and promises to the exact same thing we’ve been doing for the last eight years.”

The Obama campaign seized on a comment from Thursday night’s forum in New York where McCain said it was “easy” for him to become “somewhat divorced from the day-to-day challenges people have” while in Washington.

“Maybe from where he and George Bush sit, maybe things do look fundamentally sound,” Obama said after repeating McCain’s quote and eliciting some groans from the audience. “Maybe they don’t see what’s taking place. Maybe they’re that out of touch. But I do see what’s going on and so do you.”

Even as Obama goes on the offensive against McCain in these final weeks, he has spent time defending his own campaign, reassuring voters that the recent “lipstick” story, spike in enthusiasm for the GOP ticket, and serious up-tick in negative ads does not mean his presidential effort is off-message or floundering.

At a New Hampshire town hall Friday, a man stood and asked Obama, “when and how” was he “going to start fighting back against attack ads and smear campaigns.”

“I know there are a lot of Democrats, and some Independents and some Republicans who really want change who start getting nervous because they’ve seen this movie before every four years. Right? You have ads that are being just fabricated, they’re just made up. And lies – that’s the word I was looking for,” said Obama.

“Here’s what I can guarantee you: that we are going to be hitting back hard – we have been hitting back hard but …I’m not going to start making up lies about John McCain … we’re going to make sure that anything that is out there that we are immediately responding to. But this election is too important, it’s too serious to be playing silly games.”

The Democratic nominee also pledged that families making less than $250,000 a year would not see any type of tax increase should he become president.

Watch a volunteer tell McCain he needs to get a new staff.

(CNN) - It was a statement that a McCain town-hall participant said would land her on the campaign's "s**t list."

Addressing the Republican presidential candidate during his town-hall forum in New Hampshire Tuesday, a woman identified herself as a volunteer for his campaign, and said she had come to believe it was time McCain hires a new staff in the state.

"You've got to make some changes," the woman told McCain. "I've had problems with a lot of your paid staff."

Watch: a volunteer tells McCain to make some staff changes

The volunteers had put up all the signs ahead of the town hall event, she complained. "You've got two people sitting right here next to me…They have done more work for you volunteering than a lot of your paid staff have. All your signs that are up outside today, they were put up by us, not by your staff people.”

McCain, whose campaign has battled charges of incompetence - even from some within his own party - joked, "A lot of our paid staff, a lot of them are on work release programs as you know."

McCain later said the staff problems would be fixed.

"We'll have our folks sit down and chat with you about what needs to be fixed in your mind and in your view,” he said. “And let me just say again: I'm very aware, I'm very aware that the only way that campaigns succeed - and certainly the only way every one of mine have - is through volunteers, and I'm extremely grateful and I thank you."

New Hampshire will again be a battleground state.

(CNN) - Barack Obama and John McCain are statistically tied in New Hampshire, the state known for its perennial political role that is again expected to be a key battleground in the race for the White House.

According to a new poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire, Obama holds a narrow 3 point lead over McCain, 46 percent to 43 percent, with 8 percent remaining undecided. That marks a clear departure from a similar poll conducted there in April that showed McCain with a 6 point lead among Granite State voters.

New Hampshire is only worth 4 electoral votes, but its famously independent voting electorate has repeatedly rendered the state a tossup at the presidential level: it voted for John Kerry by 1 percentage point in 2004 and for George Bush by 3 points in 2000.

Check out CNN's Electoral Map

The state has already played a vital role in the 2008 presidential process - John McCain's come-from-behind victory there is largely credited with salvaging the Arizona senator's White House hopes while Hillary Clinton's surprising win set the stage for the prolonged Democratic primary. Clinton and Obama later held their first public show of support in Unity, New Hampshire - a town where the two candidates exactly tied.

Watch: A look back at New Hampshire

The poll, conducted on July 11-20, surveyed 519 voters and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

John McCain is now the national front-runner, a new CNN poll out Friday found.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – John McCain's victory in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary appears to be paying off.

The senator from Arizona is now the front-runner in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination, according to the first national poll taken after the New Hampshire primary.

McCain has the support of 34 percent of registered Republicans in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey out Friday. That's a 21-point jump from the last CNN/Opinion Research poll, taken in December, well before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary earlier this month.

Full story

(CNN) - New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary anointed two new front-runners – Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, and John McCain, R-Arizona.

In the latest Best Political Podcast, Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley reports on the Granite State primary results, Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider delves into CNN's New Hampshire exit polling data, and Dan Lothian previews the contest for the black vote in the critical South Carolina Democratic primary.

Plus, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, discuss New Hampshire's results and some controversial primary eve comments by former President Bill Clinton.

Click here to subscribe to the Best Political Podcast.

–CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

Marianne Pernold Young looks on Monday after asking a question that led Hillary Clinton to tears.

(CNN) – Many political observers are crediting Democrat Hillary Clinton's surprise win in New Hampshire to the New York senator's rare display of emotion at a Portsmouth Coffee shop Monday morning.

But Clinton's tearful moment failed to win at least one Granite State voter - the very woman who prompted her response in the first place.

Marianne Pernold-Young told CNN Wednesday she ultimately picked Barack Obama in Tuesday night's primary because of the Illinois senator's performance at a recent rally she attended.

"I was moved to tears. Not once, but twice," she said. "And he has this enormous electricity. And I was just taken aback. And I just had to go with my feelings." (Video: Young speaks on American Morning)

On Monday, Young asked Clinton how she was holding up under the rigors of a presidential campaign - an inquiry that cause the presidential candidate's eyes to well up and voice to tremble.

"It's not easy, and I couldn't do it if I just didn't, you know, passionately believe it was the right thing to do," a teary Clinton said. "You know, I have so many opportunities from this country, I just don't want to see us fall backwards." (Video: Clinton gets emotional)

The moment instantly became the most-covered event on the campaign trail on the day before the critical New Hampshire primary, drawing praise from some who said Clinton had finally bared her true self to voters. The next day, Clinton won among voters who said a candidate who "cares about people" is most important (a category John Edwards won in Iowa.)

Young told CNN she herself was touched by the event, though it was not enough to convince her to support Clinton.

"I was very touched and I was totally in awe that she would open up to us, all of us there," Young said. "But it was a delicate matter."

On CNN's American Morning, Clinton wouldn't speculate whether the moment had put her over the top in the Granite State the night before, but said, "I'm really glad that I had a chance to say what I believe with all of my heart, that politics isn't a game, it's not a horse race. It's about people's lives." (Video: Hillary Clinton on American Morning)

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

CNN's Candy Crowley takes a look at how the results in New Hampshire reshaped the presidential race. (Photo Credit: AP)

Giuliani is out with a Spanish ad Wednesday.

(CNN) - As the New Hampshire primary contest wound down Tuesday, Republican Rudy Giuliani released a new Spanish language television ad in Florida – a state critical to his presidential bid. The former New York mayor has wagered his campaign on the Sunshine State after disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Illegal immigration is a top issue for Republican voters this cycle, and the candidates have stressed their get-tough position on border security and enforcement. But now the race shifts to vote-rich states with large Hispanic populations - such as New York, California and Florida - which tend to support a slightly different approach.

The 30-second spot - titled “Liderazgo,” or Leadership - stresses his crime-fighting and job creation record. “Se pudo en Nueva York y se puede en Washington. Rudy Giuliani: Experiencia, Resultado, Liderazgo,” says the announcer. (English translation provided by the campaign: “It was done in New York. It can be done in Washington. Rudy Giuliani: Experience, Results, Leadership.”) The ad also features a line from Giuliani himself.

The former New York City mayor spent more time in New Hampshire than any GOP candidate except the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, only to finish a distant third, with 10 percent of the vote – tied with Ron Paul. He finished behind Paul in last week’s Iowa caucuses.

[Full script and campaign translation after the jump]

Voice Over: “El Presidente Reagan depositó su confianza en él para combatir el crimen.”

English Translation: “President Reagan trusted him to combat crime.”

Voice Over: “Nueva York lo eligió su alcalde cuando esa ciudad se veía perdida.”

English Translation: “New York elected him mayor when the city seemed doomed (lost).”

Voice Over: “Rudy Giuliani. Redujo el crimen.”

English Translation: “Rudy Giuliani. He cut down on crime.”

Voice Over: “Rebajó los impuestos.”

English Translation: “He lowered taxes.”

Voice Over: “Creó nuevos empleos y recortó la burocracia.”

English Translation: “He created new jobs and slashed bureaucracy.”

Voice Over: “Se pudo en Nueva York y se puede en Washington. Rudy Giuliani: Experiencia, Resultado, Liderazgo.”

English Translation: “It was done in New York. It can be done in Washington. Rudy Giuliani: Experience, Results, Leadership.”

Mayor Giuliani: “Soy Rudy Giuliani y apruebo este mensaje.”

English Translation: “I’m Rudy Giuliani and I approved this message.”

McCain celebrates in Nashua after winning the New Hampshire primary.

NEW YORK (CNN) – For six months, John McCain has been slowly clawing his way out of the rubble of a campaign that by all accounts had completely imploded. Since Iowa, Hillary Clinton had been described as a candidate on the ropes.

In a matter of hours Tuesday night, both senators proved the political pundits and pollsters wrong. The people of New Hampshire have spoken, and Sens. Clinton and McCain are riding new waves of momentum.

Clinton capitalized on her strength with women voters, low income earners, and union members to derail what many had started to view as Barack Obama’s runaway train.

In the battle for the GOP nomination, McCain captured New Hampshire’s sizable independent and moderate Republican vote, and benefited tremendously from an electorate extremely disillusioned by the Bush administration. In the increasingly blue Granite State, a full 50 percent of Republican primary voters expressed a negative view of President Bush’s performance. McCain beat his chief rival in this state, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, by 15 points among this surprisingly large bloc of voters.

McCain, the Senate’s most notable GOP maverick, repeated his success from eight years earlier when he trounced then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush by appealing to both the Republican base and, more notably, independent voters. At the same time, Romney’s bid to win over voters by painting McCain as soft on illegal immigration largely failed. Simply put, not enough New Hampshire voters believe that illegal immigration is the most pressing issue facing the country.

And with the United States at war, the decorated Vietnam veteran and former P.O.W. benefited from an electorate that overwhelmingly described him as the best potential commander-in-chief. More than 4 in 10 Republican voters saw McCain as the most qualified to hold this title, compared to only 1 in 4 who felt the same way about Romney.

Meanwhile, Clinton found her voice, so she said, and regained her footing with her base of women voters. In Iowa, the New York senator lost the women’s vote to Obama by five points. By contrast, she carried the woman’s vote in New Hampshire by a sizable 13- point margin.

Clinton’s Iowa loss forced her to more fully engage in the type of retail politics that is demanded by New Hampshire’s notoriously fickle first-in-the-nation primary voters. And she successfully showed voters a rarely seen side of her by letting her guard down at a campaign event in Portsmouth. Her tears came one day before voters headed to the polls, and already observers are wondering if this display of emotion helped save her candidacy.

As Republicans and Democrats now embark on different paths in their pursuit of the White House, several candidates now find themselves with their backs to the wall. If he chooses to stay in the race, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will likely face a make-or-break caucus in neighboring Nevada. John Edwards is facing a severe cash crunch as he struggles to make his voice heard against his two better-funded opponents.

While Fred Thompson is banking on South Carolina, Romney and McCain are setting their sights on Michigan. And Mike Huckabee might have a surprisingly strong showing in that state’s hotly contested Republican primary. As in Iowa, evangelicals will be the key to any success on the part of the Arkansas governor. Rudy Giuliani is still counting on a strong showing in Florida to serve as a springboard into Super Tuesday.

Only 120 hours separated Iowa and New Hampshire. Now the sprint becomes a virtual month-long marathon with a potential February 5 finish line looming in the distance.

– CNN's Mark Preston and Alan Silverleib

CNN's Sasha Johnson reports that when televisions broadcast Barack Obama's comments on the Iraq war, midway through his election night speech, some Hillary Clinton supporters at her campaign headquarters began to boo.

In the New Hampshire Democratic primary

CNN estimates:

* Hillary Clinton has won 9 New Hampshire delegates (3 statewide, 6 district-level)

* Barack Obama has won 9 New Hampshire delegates (3 statewide, 6 district-level)

* John Edwards has won 4 New Hampshire delegates (2 statewide, 2 district-level)

* 22 Democratic delegates were at stake in the New Hampshire primary

* There are also 8 Democratic “superdelegates” in New Hampshire. Of those, 2 support Clinton and 3 support Obama, according to a CNN survey.

***

In the New Hampshire Republican primary

CNN estimates:

* John McCain has won 7 New Hampshire delegates

* Mitt Romney has won 4 New Hampshire delegates

* Mike Huckabee has won 1 New Hampshire delegate

* 12 GOP delegates were at stake in the New Hampshire primary

* All GOP delegates at stake in the New Hampshire primary are statewide

Hillary Clinton celebrates her victory amid a sea of supporters.

(CNN) - Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary despite polls indicating she would lose by double-digit margins because three groups of Democratic voters cast their ballots for her.

Voters concerned about the economy, female voters, and union voters all voted for the New York Democrat by a considerably higher margin than expected.

The economy was the most important issue for Democrats, and Clinton bested Barack Obama by 9 percentage points on the issue. Clinton also did considerably better among women voters - nearly 60 percent of Democratic primary voters - beating Obama there by 13 percentage points. Female voters proved fatal to Clinton in Iowa – she lost among women there to Obama by 5 percentage points.

Finally, Clinton beat Obama among union voters by 10 percentage points. Union voters don’t play a major role in New Hampshire - only 20 percent of primary voters - but are considerably more of a factor in states down the road.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

(CNN) - Like Iowa Democrats before them, more than half of Democratic voters in New Hampshire ranked "change" as the most important quality they were looking for in a candidate, according to CNN exit polls. Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton by 26 percentage points in that category.

But Clinton easily bested Obama among voters who ranked two key qualities most important: "experience" (by an enormous 65 percentage points) and "cares about people" (by a 21-point margin).

John Edwards won the "cares about people" category in Iowa, but the former North Carolina senator was much less of a factor in New Hampshire, and Clinton seems to be the clear beneficiary of that. It will be interesting to if Edwards has a similar effect on the race in the upcoming states.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Big support from women helped fuel the Clinton win.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed a come-from-behind victory in New Hampshire's Democratic primary late Tuesday, edging out her Senate colleague, Barack Obama, after placing third in the Iowa caucuses.

Flanked by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea, the New York senator told supporters she "found her own voice" in the five days since Iowa, and promised them "we are in it for the long run."

"I felt like we all spoke from our hearts, and I'm so gratified that you responded," she said. "Now let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me."

Obama, the first-term Illinois senator, had beaten her in Iowa and saw his lead grow to near-double digits in polls taken just before the Granite State's first-in-the-nation primary. But with 81 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Clinton led the Democratic field with 39 percent of the vote.

Obama had 37 percent and conceded defeat shortly before Clinton spoke. Former Sen. John Edwards, who placed second in Iowa, had 17 percent, while New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich trailed in single digits.

Clinton had worked to blunt Obama's message of change by pointing to her own record as an advocate for children and health-care reform, which she called "the work of my life."

"For all the ups and downs of this campaign, you helped remind everyone that politics isn't a game," she said. "This campaign is about people, about making a difference in your lives, about making sure that everyone in this country has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential."

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – Solid support from registered Democrats and
women were crucial Tuesday as Sen. Hillary Clinton reversed her third-place finish in last week's Iowa caucuses to take a narrow victory over rival Barack Obama in New Hampshire's presidential primary, results from exit polls suggest.

With 72 percent of precincts reporting, CNN projected Clinton the winner of the first-in-the-nation primary with 39 percent of the vote to Obama's 36.

Self-styled independents, who made up 43 percent of all voters polled, said they voted for Obama by a margin of 43 percent to 31 percent for Clinton.

But Clinton was ahead of Obama 45 percent to 34 percent among those who said they were registered Democrats. Those voters made up a majority - 54 percent - of all those respondents.

Clinton also claimed the majority of women's votes, according to the polling. That's in contrast to last week's Iowa caucuses, in which Obama surprised observers by stealing the female vote from Clinton.

According to the exit polls, Clinton had a sizable lead over Obama among women, 47 percent to 34 percent. Analysts say that shift was crucial to the Clinton turnaround.

"If I had a single word, the word would be 'women,' " said CNN political analyst Bill Schneider. "She got the women back."

College graduates, who made up 29 percent of the electorate, opted narrowly for Clinton - 38 percent to Obama's 37 percent, according to the polling.

Those polled who called themselves very liberal or moderate went with Clinton over Obama - although by less than two percentage points in each - and those who said they are somewhat liberal were evenly split.

Pundits also were citing the role of former President Bill Clinton in helping his wife recover from what pre-primary polls were suggesting was a deficit of 9 percentage points to Obama in New Hampshire.

The former president spent Tuesday in Hanover, home to Dartmouth College - where Obama had been expected to win handily.

"They dispatched him to the area that Obama was surging," said CNN analyst Donna Brazille, who managed former Vice-President Al Gore's campaign in 2000. "I think it had the effect of tamping down Obama support and giving Senator Clinton a real reason to come back in this race."

New Hampshire was considered crucial to Clinton's campaign. If Obama had been able to sweep Iowa and New Hampshire - after months of Clinton being considered the frontrunner among Democrats - it could have given him powerful momentum going into future primaries.

(CNN) - President Bush is hundreds of miles away from New Hampshire, but he had a powerful effect on the state's Republican presidential primary, according to CNN exit polls.

Roughly half of Republican primary voters had a negative opinion of the Bush administration, and those voters significantly went for Arizona Sen. John McCain by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. Of the GOP voters who said they had a positive opinion of the Bush administration, 37 percent voted for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

So while Romney tried heavily to be the candidate of change in the closing days of the New Hampshire campaign, voters overwhelmingly believed that McCain better represents the change candidate.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

Obama: ‘Still fired up’

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) - Failing to parlay his win in last week's Iowa caucuses to a victory in the New Hampshire primary, Sen. Barack Obama said he was "still fired up and ready to go."

The junior senator from Illinois congratulated Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for her win and praised "all the candidates in this race" as "patriots who serve this country honorably."

"But the reason our campaign has always been different, the reason we began this improbable journey almost a year ago, is because it's not just about what I will do as president," he said. "It is also about what you, the people who love this country, the citizens of the United States of America, can do to change it. That's what this election is all about."

CNN projected Clinton to win with 72 percent of precincts counted, basing it on reported results, exit polls and other statistical models.

As she had most of the night, Clinton held a 39 percent to 37 percent lead over Obama with 81 percent of the precincts in.

But Obama assailed critics who he said doubted his campaign and said that the record numbers of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire showed that "there is something happening in America."

"You, all of you who are here tonight, all of you who put so much heart and soul and work into this campaign, you can be the new majority who can lead this nation out of a long political darkness," he said. "Democrats, independents and Republicans who are tired of the division and distraction that has clouded Washington."

"For most of this campaign, we were far behind," he said. "We always knew our climb would be steep. But in record numbers, you came out and you spoke up for change."

Obama pledged to end tax breaks for the rich, to "end the outrage of unaffordable and unavailable healthcare" and "end this war in Iraq and bring our troops home."

"We will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We will care for our veterans. We will restore our moral standing in the world, and we will never use 9/11 to scare up votes. 9/11 is not a tactic to win votes, but a challenge to unite America."

Obama also responded to critics who he said cautioned his campaign against offer "false hope."

"In the unlikely story that is America," he said, "there has never been anything false about hope."

And, he said, his response to those naysayers is "one simple creed - yes, we can."

"Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can, and so tomorrow as we take the campaign south and west ... we will remember that there is something happening in America, that we are not as divided as our politics suggest, that we are one people and one nation and together we will begin the next great chapter in the story with three words that ring from sea to shining sea - yes, we can."

Edwards: ‘Two down, 48 to go’

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – Former Sen. John Edwards painted himself as the candidate of the voiceless Tuesday night after tracking a distant third in the New Hampshire Democratic primary.

Noting that there are "two states down, 48 states to go" in primary and caucus voting, the 2004 vice presidential nominee said that only about 1 percent of Americans had voted so far and that the other "99 percent deserve to be heard."

"We have had too much of voices not being heard," he said to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters. " ... That's what this battle is about. It's not about me. It's about the cause of giving voice to all those whose voices are not being heard in this democracy."

Edwards pledged to continue his fight to expand healthcare coverage, to fight global warming, protect the environment, end poverty and create new jobs.

"We know what needs to be done," he said. "The only question is whether we have the backbone and the will and the determination to get there."

"I am in this race to the convention, where I intend to be the nominee of my party," he said. "And I am in this race until we have actually restored the American dream and strengthened and restored the middle class of America."

Edwards narrowly beat Sen. Hillary Clinton for second place in the Iowa caucuses last week, but CNN projected Edwards to finish third in New Hampshire, while the race for first between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama was too close to call. CNN made the projection with 10 percent of precincts counted, basing it on reported results, exit polls and other statistical models.

With 65 percent of the Granite State's precincts counted, Edwards had 17 percent of the vote to Clinton's 39 percent and Obama's 36 percent.

Related video: Edwards: '48 states left'

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – After a disappointing third in the Iowa caucuses, Sen. Hillary Clinton will win the nation's first Democratic primary, CNN projects with 72 percent of precincts reporting.

CNN based the projection on those New Hampshire precincts that have reported results, exit polls and other statistical models - including the number of votes outstanding in areas where Clinton is expected to do well.

Clinton held 39 percent of the vote to Obama's 36 percent.

(CNN) – New Hampshire Democratic primary voters overwhelmingly believe Barack Obama can better unite the country than Hillary Clinton can, according to CNN exit polls.

Fifty percent said the Illinois senator is the most able to unite, compared to 29 percent who cited Clinton. More New Hampshire Democrats also said Obama could win a general election race: 46 percent said the Illinois senator has the best shot against a Republican, compared to 36 percent for Clinton.

But unfortunately for Obama, electability proved to be the least important factor when New Hampshire Democratic primary voters decided on a candidate. Only 7 percent said they were most concerned with the candidate's chance of being elected next November.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – Hillary Clinton's team still entertains the possibility she will lose. "It's gonna be close," they tell CNN. They are waiting on Hanover - "it's a straight-up college town" - and Durham, two areas they think it is possible Obama will do very well. But they say they are coming in two and three points ahead in areas they expected to lose.

Former President Clinton campaigned with his wife in New Hampshire Monday. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
(CNN) - The same issue that former President Bill Clinton used in 1992 to propel himself to the White House is key to his wife's strong showing in New Hampshire 16 years later.

The economy was the top issue of New Hampshire Democratic primary voters with 39 percent citing it, according to CNN exit polls. Sen. Hillary Clinton was the clear favorite of those voters as 44 percent of them went for her compared to 35 percent who went for Obama.

Clinton also performed well with those voters who said they were falling behind financially. Nearly a third of Democratic primary voters identified themselves in this category and those voters broke for Clinton over Obama by a 10-point margin.

– CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) - With half of New Hampshire's precincts counted, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York clung to a narrow lead over Iowa caucus winner Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

CNN projected former Sen. John Edwards to finish third, but the race between Clinton and Obama was too close to call. CNN made the projection with 10 percent of precincts counted, basing it on reported results, exit polls and other statistical models.

Clinton held a 39 percent to 37 percent lead over Obama. The former first lady was maintaining a lead in New Hampshire's two largest cities, Manchester and Nashua, but numbers from college towns like Hanover, where Obama was expected to finish strong, were not in.

Edwards had 17 percent of the vote with 50 percent of the precincts in, followed by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson with 5 percent and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich with 1 percent.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – CNN's Sasha Johnson reports that Hillary Clinton's campaign aides - who 'disappeared' in Iowa after results came in - are coming around to talk to reporters. She and CNN's Candy Crowley report the crowd at Clinton's primary night party has been chanting "comeback kid."

CNN's Crowley also reports that the Clinton war room is 'excited' now - they say they're seeing 10 -point swings in districts they thought they would lose, and think dispatching former President Bill Clinton to Hanover today was a good move.

CNN projects John McCain will win New Hampshire's GOP primary.

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – Sen. John McCain pinned his win in the New Hampshire Republican primary on "one strategy" - telling the people of the Granite State what he believes.

"When the pundits declared us finished, I told them, 'I'm going to New Hampshire where the voters don't let you make their decisions for them,'" he said. "'I'm going to New Hampshire, and I'm going to tell people the truth.'"

With 38 percent of precincts counted, McCain led his closest rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, by 37 percent to 30 percent.

Twelve percent of precincts had reported results when CNN projected McCain to win and Romney to finish second, based on those results, exit polls and other statistical models - including the number of votes outstanding in areas where McCain is expected to do well.

McCain called his win "a step ... toward repairing the broken government."

"I went to Washington to serve my country," he said, "and that, my friends, is what I intend to do if I am so privileged to be elected president."

He said he wanted restore trust in government and to return the GOP to a party of fiscal discipline and strong defense "to secure the dreams that have made us the greatest nation in history."

The senator from Arizona stopped short of claiming the mantle "comeback kid," however.

"I'm past the age when I can claim the noun 'kid' no matter what adjective precedes it, but we sure showed them what a comeback looks like," he said.

Related video: McCain claims victory