MANCHESTER, N.H.—Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman and unlikely presidential candidate, claimed his first win in the race for the GOP nomination, easily winning the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night.

Trump’s victory was shaping up to be historic. His margin of victory was on pace to almost equal John McCain’s trouncing of George W. Bush in 2000, when the Arizona senator bested the Texas governor by 19 points.



It was a significant victory for Trump, the real estate mogul and former reality television star whose celebrity and willingness to speak without a filter has upended the Republican presidential race. After a disappointing loss in Iowa last week, Trump proved for the first time he is capable of actually winning without a traditional campaign, a robust get-out-the-vote operation and the kind of grip-and-grin retail stops that early state voters are said to prefer.

Trump, who campaigned as an outsider and party disrupter, led here in the polls since he officially declared his candidacy in July — a rise that was fueled by voter support for his hard-right immigration proposals and a vague promise to “Make America Great Again.” His win puts him in good position to win the next primary in South Carolina, where he has a 20-point lead over his closest rival, Sen. Ted Cruz.

SLIDESHOW – New Hampshire results are in >>>

But Trump’s victory, while significant, was less important than the competition for second, third and beyond, where governors John Kasich, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie were battling Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to keep their campaigns alive.

At the Trump election night party, supporters wearing “Make America Great Again” trucker hats and waving foam fingers emblazoned with the Trump logo screamed and hollered as their candidate was declared the victor early in the night. Backstage, Trump aides were equally jubilant, arguing that their boss’s victory shows his unlikely message and unusual campaign operation has the staying power to win the nomination.

“Oh, woooow,” Trump said, taking the stage at his election night victory party as “Revolution” by The Beatles played in the background. “Wow, wow, wow.”

The real estate mogul, whose face was flushed bright red during most of his speech, thanked a litany of people, including his late parents, his siblings, his wife and even his campaign press secretary, before finally offering gratitude to the people of New Hampshire. “We love you,” he said. “Remember, you started it.”