How Much the New Hampshire Primary Mattered in Every Election

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney defeated five rivals in the New Hampshire primary, avenging his loss from four years earlier. After Romney lost the South Carolina primary to Newt Gingrich, he won in Florida and started to roll up victories. He won the nomination but lost to President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul finished a distant second in the New Hampshire primary. He failed to win any states and suspended his campaign though he sought to influence the GOP platform at the Republican National Convention, where Mitt Romney won the nomination.

Real estate mogul and reality television star Donald Trump began his unlikely presidential election by winning the New Hampshire primary. Trump would go on to defeat a field of 17 Republican candidates and win 41 contests. Trump upset former New York Sen. Hillary Clinton to win the 2016 election and become the nation’s oldest elected president.

Gov. John Kasich of Ohio finished second in the New Hampshire primary, well behind Donald Trump. Kasich, a moderate Republican who backed a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, would only win his own state during the primary season. He ended his campaign in May before the Republican National Convention.