Moderate New Hampshire Voters Hope For Unity, Fear Extremism
New Hampshire, like Iowa, has always been a key state and area of hyper-focus for presidential contenders. It holds the first primary, resulting in a disproportionate influx of rallies and campaigns in the small state and, in-turn, a politically engaged electorate.
At a town hall event in Concord on November 9, Joe Biden served chili to firefighters and local residents. While this event’s demographic was slightly different from that of a Pete Buttigieg rally later that day in New Hampton, voters at both echoed a similar sentiment. For voters in this purple state interested in Biden and Buttigieg, unity and moderation were of utmost importance.
Both Biden and Buttigieg are marketed in their campaigns and by their policy proposals as more moderate Democratic contenders—a feature that many, especially older voters, deem particularly electable.
As of December 13, 2019, Biden enjoys the highest national polling average at 27 percent whereas Buttigieg is at 10 percent. Despite these figures, recent data from Iowa suggests that Buttigieg may actually rank higher among Democratic voters than the former vice president. The South Bend mayor receives 19 percent support from likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers, while Biden receives 15 percent—data that indicates a significant shift in moderate support within the Democratic base.