MANCHESTER, N.H. (Jan. 8) — After a third-place finish in Tuesday’s primary here, John Edwards vowed he would soldier on in his quest to win the Democratic nomination for president.
“I want to be clear to the 99 percent of Americans who have not yet had a chance to have their voices heard,” Edwards said. “I am in this race until the finish. I am in this race until we have actually restored the American dream.”
As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Edwards was projected as the third-place finisher with 17 percent of the vote. Senators Hillary Clinton (39 percent) and Barack Obama (37 percent) were in a too-close-to-call race for first with 63 percent of precincts reporting.
In the Republican race, John McCain, whose campaign was written off as late as a month ago, won race over Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee, who won last week’s Iowa caucuses, took third. As of 10:30 p.m., McCain had 37 percent of the vote, ahead of Romney (31 percent) and Huckabee (11 percent). 61 percent of precincts were reporting.
At the Tower Mills in downtown Manchester Tuesday night, more than 200 Edwards supporters filled a room to hear Edwards deliver his concession speech. Despite the third-place finish, Edwards’ hopes remained high for victories in later states.
“We have too many Americans whose voices have not yet been heard in this democracy,” Edwards said. “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.
Up next for the Democrats is Nevada, which will hold its caucuses Jan. 19. The South Carolina Democratic primary will be held on Jan. 26 before 23 states hold their primaries on Feb. 5.
In interviews on Tuesday, New Hampshire voters who did vote for Edwards often credited his late campaigning in the state. Edwards embarked on a 36-hour “Marathon for the Middle Class” bus tour Sunday and Monday.
At the polling place at the Carol M. Rines Center in Manchester, Sharon Colgan voted for Edwards. Colgan did not know whom she was going to vote for until after Saturday night’s debate, when she decided she would vote for Edwards. “It was definitely from the debate,” said Colgan, 56. “I was still undecided. But I liked the way he performed in the debate and what he said about taking on the big corporations.”
Keith Lucier, a Manchester resident who also voted for Edwards, was also torn among all of the Democratic candidates before the debate. “It was a tough decision,” said Lucier, 43. “There were a lot of good candidates. But I was really impressed with his performance.” Lucier was originally planning on voting for New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
The campaign hoped the relentless schedule of 13 events across the state would show voters Edwards’ dedication.
“While everybody else goes to high-glamour events and goes to bed tonight, I’m going to be out working,” Edwards said at a Sunday night rally. “I’m going to be out working for votes, working for you, working for the kind of country that we believe in.”
But in the end, voters flocked to Obama and Clinton. Many voters identified change as their reason for voting for Obama. In the days leading up to the election, Edwards identified Obama as a fellow “change candidate” running against Clinton who, Edwards said, represents the status quo.
“The choice is clear for Tuesday,” Edwards said Sunday. “The choice is between the status quo and change. And my view is that New Hampshire voters, Iowa voters and America’s voters already rejected the status quo. We’re done with that. We’re about change.”
Michael Quartararo voted for Obama because of the change message. Obama was the candidate most likely to deliver the change the government needs in Washington, Quartararo said.
“I believe that change is definitely in his vocabulary if it’s not in anybody else’s,” said Quartararo, 42. “He makes a lot of strong points. I really think that the vigor of his campaign is what we need in Washington. I think the old crumpets on the hill need a wake up call. And I think he has the loudest trumpet to deliver that.”
Edwards was quick to congratulate both Clinton and Obama, but cautioned that there is still a long way to go until America elects its next president.
“Last week I congratulated Senator Obama when he finished first and I finished second in Iowa,” Edwards said. “One race down. Tonight, I congratulate Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. Two races down, 48 states left.”
Joyce Ogirri contributed reporting to this story.
(Heath D. Williams, a junior newspaper major, is covering the New Hampshire primary for The Pilot of Southern Pines, N.C.)
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