Despite spending much of his career as a political outsider, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has become a top contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination by winning the New Hampshire Democratic primary contest. 

On Tuesday, Feb. 11 the left-wing senator won a close race over former mayor Pete Buttigieg. Meanwhile Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota senator, took third place as Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden took fourth and fifth places, respectively.

With 95% of the vote counted, Sandors took the lead over Buttigieg by about 4,300 votes, which is only 1.6%. 

Sanders thanked his supporters during a rally in Manchester, saying, "This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump." 

Our victory tonight is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 12, 2020

The 78-year-old senator then promised to build an "unprecedented multi-generational, multi-racial political movement" to defeat the Republican.

One of the most surprising factors of the New Hampshire primary was Klobuchar's popularity with voters. 

The Minnesota senator campaigned energetically in the last few days before the vote and managed to earn a third-place finish, which gives her momentum to go to Nevada and South Carolina, the next two states to hold contests.  

The race moves to the Nevada caucuses on February 22 before heading to South Carolina.

After that, on Super Tuesday (March 3) 15 states and territories will vote, and in July a final nominee will be chosen at the party convention in Milwaukee.