The Democrats are a party deeply divided. In a contest where most Democratic voters said they're looking for someone who can beat Donald Trump, Sanders narrowly took the top slot. "This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump," Sanders told his supporters.

But Buttigieg's strong second-place showing makes him a popular alternative for voters who see Sanders' socialist policies as too extreme. "A campaign that some said shouldn't be here at all has shown that we are here to stay," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg and Sanders split the New Hampshire delegates, giving Buttigieg a slight delegate lead after his Iowa victory.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar—who is also seen as a moderate—took a surprisingly strong third-place finish, getting a big boost from her debate performance last week.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, once frontrunners, both finished with single-digit support.

With 87% of precincts reporting, here were the results:

Bernie Sanders, 71,759 - 26 percent

Pete Buttigieg, 68,141 - 24 percent

Amy Klobuchar, 55,164 - 20 percent

Elizabeth Warren, 25,899 - 9 percent

Joe Biden, 23,475 - 8 percent

Biden left the state early to get to South Carolina where he hopes for a big win among black voters to keep him in the race. "Now where I come from, that's the opening bell, not the closing bell," he said.

Meanwhile, candidates Andrew Yang and Sen. Michael Bennett dropped out of the race Tuesday night after earning very little support.

After spending $200 million on TV ads, Michael Bloomberg is gaining ground in national polls, but he's not on the ballot until Super Tuesday.

Bloomberg is facing new criticism after a recording from 2015 surfaced in which he defends his controversial "stop and frisk" policy in minority communities when he was New York mayor. Bloomberg apologized for the policy months ago, just days before launching his presidential campaign.

The political spotlight quickly shifts to Nevada, where Democrats will hold caucuses on Feb. 22. But the candidates will be barnstorming several states in the days leading up to Super Tuesday on March 3. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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