IT'S NOT A PROGRESSIVE TOWN:

 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., brought the vote home in blue-collar towns across the Upper Valley, as voters there said they were drawn to his consistency and progressive message that many think can help oust Republican President Donald Trump in November.

"I want to get rid of Trump, and I think he's the only guy who can do it," said Stefanie Barton, a 56-year-old Claremont resident who also backed Sanders in the Democratic primary four years ago. "I think he has better plans for America, and I don't believe that socialism is communism, I think that people are confused."

But former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg won in many of the more prosperous towns in the Valley, including Hanover, as many voters signaled they are interested in a fresh perspective in Washington.

The 38-year-old Buttigieg took 1,397 votes in Hanover, while Sanders' 1,078 votes barely outpaced U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who won 1,064 votes in Dartmouth College's hometown. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren finished fourth there with 973 votes.

According to unofficial results, Sanders won 674 votes in Claremont to 516 for Buttigieg and 260 for Klobuchar, who ran a strong third across the state. Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden took 161 and 158 votes, respectively.

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