CONCORD, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg may be the frontrunners in the New Hampshire Democratic Primary, but Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is enjoying an upswing in the polls—and hopes her recent favorability will carry her to a third-place finish in the Granite State.
Early Tuesday morning, Klobuchar won the most votes in the three tiny northern New Hampshire towns that vote shortly after midnight—Dixville Notch, Hart’s Location and Millsfield. She also has the endorsements of several leading New Hampshire newspapers, including the Union Leader, The Keene Sentinel, and the Seacoast Media Group papers.
Sen. Klobuchar sat down with WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas to talk about the primary, her campaign, and what will come next.
"There's just something in the air—momentum," Klobuchar said. "We did all the hard work, been here 23 times—also of course went to Massachusetts a number of times, Super Tuesday state."
She's seen a surge since her Friday night Democratic debate performance, after which she raised millions of campaign dollars. But Klobuchar credits her recent rise in the polls to that "hard work."
"That made a huge difference, because I got to not just talk about my bold ideas, but the experience I had to get 'em done," Klobuchar said. "But then I also got to speak from my heart to the people of this country, and you don't always get that opportunity."
So how does Klobuchar plan on moving forward with that momentum to gain independent or undecided voters?
"You want to build a big coalition in the general election that includes a fired-up Democratic base, but also independents and moderate Republicans," she said. "I don't want to just eek by a victory in November against Donald Trump, I want to win big, and really bring decency back to the White House. The only way you do that is if you can build this coalition, and New Hampshire's a good test of that."
As for Trump, Klobuchar said people are "desensitized" to him saying wild things, but that if voters really think about what his policies and presidency mean for them, they'll realize he's not on their side, while she is.
"If you are struggling between paying for childcare for your kids and long-term care for their parents, you've got a home with me, I know you, and I'll fight for you," she said. "If you have to stretch your paycheck just to pay the rent or the mortgage, I know you and I'll fight for you. I don't think [Trump] gets that. I love people, and that's why I love retail campaigning in states like New Hampshire. He's not like that. He likes to stand on a big stage and show off and throw darts at people and belittle them and say mean things. I'm just the opposite, and I think that's why we're catching on here in New Hampshire."
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports
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