Kerry triumphs in New Hampshire

John Kerry easily won New Hampshire’s primary election on Tuesday, overpowering Howard Dean and other rivals for a second-straight victory to establish the four-term senator as the party’s presidential front-runner.

Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and former NATO commander Wesley Clark were in a distant race for third as early returns trickled in from across the state. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut was fifth, his candidacy in peril.

A total of seven Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination to run against President George W. Bush in elections this fall.

“Tonight is another step in the winnowing process,” said Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe.

He has said no candidate can survive without a victory in Iowa, New Hampshire or one of seven states holding contests Feb. 3.

Edwards, who finished a surprise second in Iowa, predicted he would finish in the double digits, an improvement over his standing in polls before Iowa. He’s staking his candidacy on South Carolina, a centrepiece of next week’s contests. “Beyond South Carolina, I don’t want to make any predictions,” he said.

With 27 percent of the precincts reporting, Kerry had 39 percent, Dean had 24 percent, Edwards 13 percent, Clark 12 percent and Lieberman 10 percent.

An AP analysis of the delegate count showed Kerry winning five delegates and Dean three, with 14 delegates still to be allocated.

Votes will be held around the country in coming months to select delegates for the Democratic Party’s national convention, where a candidate will be chosen to run against Bush. A total of 2,162 delegates are needed for the nomination.

His eye warily cast toward the fall, Bush planned a trip to New Hampshire to counter criticism heaped his way during the Democratic race. He used a similar tactic after Iowa’s caucuses, scheduling his State of the Union address one day after that contest.

After New Hampshire, the race leaves its traditional starting points for the national stage. Seven states hold primaries or caucuses Feb. 3, from Delaware in the north to New Mexico in the west and South Carolina.

Dean, former five-term governor of Vermont, hoped a solid finish would help him rebound from a disastrous third place in Iowa eight days ago.

“It looks like we are going to finish a solid second,” Dean told supporters.