ANCHESTER, N.H. - Capping an acrimonious campaign that went down to the wire, Vice President Al Gore held off Bill Bradley to win the New Hampshire primary last night, dashing the former New Jersey senator's hopes for an insurgent's upset.
Republican
98% of precincts reporting
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McCain
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49%
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Bush
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31%
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Forbes
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13%
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Keyes
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6%
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Bauer
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1%
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Democrats
98% of precincts reporting
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Gore
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52%
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Bradley
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47%
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Percentages will not necessarily add to 100.
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 Democrats fight to a close finish
Independents turn GOP contest
Contrarians speak up, leaders get wake up call
Arizona senator has found strength in his weaknesses
Independent voters say character was key to decision
Why they voted the way they did
Result no setback for Bush backer Cellucci
Primary shows off NBC synergy
Independents seen taking up the insurgents' fight
Bauer, Keyes unbowed as they vow to soldier on
Forbes hopes to make it a three-way race
Bush campaign says it's ready to move on
In Granite State diner, a final helping of politics
First primary settled, campaigns mull new tactics
On campaign trail, it's a frantic pace
Vow of tenacity keeps Bradley's spirits high, focus keen
For vice president's campaign, no letup in asking for votes
Forbes praises McCain win, asks for more support
Keyes will stay in race, despite big N.H. loss
Gore wins the Democratic N.H. primary over Bradley
Bradley greets voters at polls
Will Bradley triumph?
Turnout heavy in Granite State
Can McCain pull off a victory?
Gore makes a last minute effort
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Gore wins close race among Democrats
McCain savors big win over Bush in GOP race
True to tradition, N.H. tests front-runners
McCain impressed voters as straight shooter
GOP voters happier with candidates than in '96
Independents say character was key to vote
Granite State voters have their say
N.H. Secretary of State again predicts high turnout
Keys to reading the New Hampshire returns
Bradley, McCain win Dixville Notch, Hart's Location
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But as unofficial returns from precincts poured in, the outcome seemed likely to remain close enough that both candidates could claim to draw strength from the result - and a mandate to press on.
''We have just begun to fight!'' an ebullient Gore told cheering supporters at the Holiday Inn here. ''For months, we were the underdogs here, we were behind in the polls for 14 weeks, we were outspent, but because of you, we were never outworked.''
At New Hampshire College, Bradley congratulated Gore and described his own loss as ''a remarkable turnaround,'' since many polls showed him trailing by double digits during the past week.
But while he conceded the battle here, he vowed to continue.
''We're smarter and better prepared and ready and eager to continue the fight,'' Bradley told a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. He described the race as a fight for new politics, big dreams, and a different philosophy of leadership - his.
Gore may have owed his margin to a last-minute push yesterday afternoon. Earlier in the day, voter-exit surveys suggested that the vice president might lose. But the Gore campaign reacted swiftly, stepping up its efforts to get people to the polls in heavily Democratic wards, hoping to stanch Bradley's gains among independent voters in wealthy suburbs such as Amherst, Acworth, and Wilmot.
Field workers, for example, called likely Gore voters seven and eight times during the the day and knocked on doors urging people to vote.
At Ward Six in Manchester, for example, there was a line of nearly 500 people as the polls prepared to close at 7 p.m. Gore volunteers brought coffee to make sure no one left without voting.
The hotly contested race ensures that Bradley will not bow out anytime soon, despite the Gore campaign's best efforts to drive him away early with wins in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
In fact, the Bradley campaign's continuing bitterness over Gore's campaign tactics, particularly his assault on Bradley's health care proposal, may help fuel the Bradley organization in the coming days.
The former senator, who flew to Connecticut last night, plans to continue questioning Gore's veracity because of his involvement in the 1996 campaign fund-raising scandals and his ability to win in November, according to a top aide.
Both candidates went all out to win in New Hampshire, spending about 45 days apiece campaigning here during the past year. But Bradley massively outspent Gore on television advertising, $3.3 million to $1.9 million, since November.
As they move past the first-primary state, Gore and Bradley's next major test will come March 7, with 15 state primaries and caucuses. Each candidate will have about $20 million available with which to compete in California, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.
Perhaps sensing a loss of momentum during the past week, Bradley issued a ''challenge'' yesterday to Gore to hold debates once a week. Gore previously had challenged Bradley to engage in debates twice a week and to forgo all 30-second commercials.
''We believe the offer is in the best interests of the country and the party,'' Bradley spokesman Eric Hauser said.
Gore's campaign responded with a blend of openness and a hedge.
''It's important to link the debates to getting rid of ads,'' said Carter Eskew, Gore's media strategist. ''We want the debates; we will debate.''
The story of the Democratic primary has overtones of David and Goliath. When Gore began campaigning in New Hampshire last year, he seemed an unstoppable force, high in the polls, with all the advantages of incumbency and little concern about the less-well-known Bradley.
For about nine months, Gore effectively ignored Bradley and campaigned largely from Washington. He stood behind podiums on platforms. He read from note cards. White House-style blue drapes served as a backdrop for most of his appearances.
Meanwhile, Bradley quietly worked the fertile New England turf. He traveled extensively throughout New Hampshire, meeting with voters in small groups and holding town hall meetings to answer questions.
Then on Sept. 5, the Gore campaign was rocked by news of a Boston Globe/WBZ poll that showed Gore and Bradley in a dead heat. Bradley hadn't even begun to advertise.
The realization that Gore would have to exert himself to win the primary, much less the nomination, brought massive changes to his campaign. He moved his headquarters from Washington to Nashville. And he began to listen to his supporters here, who urged him to ditch the podium and talk to the voters with Main Street walks and open meetings.
Gore also became more aggressive toward Bradley. First, he began to acknowledge that he had an opponent. Second, he began to criticize Bradley for retiring from the Senate rather than stay to fight the Republican right, and for proposing what Gore considered a flawed health care plan.
Day by day, Gore chipped at Bradley's proposal with one criticism after another. He said Bradley's plan would cost too much and would spend the entire budget surplus without setting aside money to save Social Security and Medicare.
He said Bradley would eliminate Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and disabled, and replace it with something that fell short of the needs of the poor.
Most controversially, Gore said Bradley's plan would be hardest on African-Americans, Latinos, women, the disabled, and people with the AIDS virus by taking away their Medicaid.
Gore's charges largely went unanswered, as Bradley believed the accusations to be too outrageous for anyone to believe. Bradley also said he was running a different kind of campaign, and would not lower himself to respond to Gore's ''darts.''
The criticism, however, took a toll on Bradley. Gore became competitive in the public opinion polls once more and went on to decisively win the Iowa caucuses despite an all-out push by Bradley.
Back in New Hampshire for the final week of campaigning before the primary, Bradley finally launched his counterattack.
''And my question to you is, why should we believe that you will tell the truth as president, if you don't tell the truth as a candidate?'' Bradley asked Gore during their last debate before the vote.
''In politics, sometimes people make misleading statements because they don't know any better,'' Bradley continued. ''You know better.''
Since that time, Bradley has attacked Gore's truthfulness in characterizing Bradley's health care plan. He has attacked Gore's participation in the campaign-finance scandals of 1996. And he has attacked Gore for not supporting a woman's right to an abortion throughout his entire political career.
In response, Gore accused Bradley of engaging in ''old politics'' and the politics of ''personal vilification.''
Despite the rocky week and tracking polls showing Bradley sliding behind Gore, Bradley and his staff have maintained that he can win the Democratic nomination even with the losses in Iowa and New Hampshire. They are sold on the message that the nation urgently needs Bradley's ''new politics'' of bold ideas and integrity, and they have the money to try to sell it to the rest of the country.
They believe the nation has yet to focus on the election and are banking on Bradley to build some momentum before the March 7 contests.
Privately, Bradley aides had been bracing for the possibility of a lopsided loss in New Hampshire that could have crippled their ability to build that momentum.
Bradley is scheduled to hit five states that hold primaries on March 7 in the next three days, including the two biggest prizes: New York and California.
Gore was also slated to leave New Hampshire early this morning for New York City. From there, the vice president will travel to Ohio, California, and Seattle.
''We're going to travel every day for the next month and a half,'' said Chris Lehane, Gore's spokesman.
