Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has won the New Hampshire primary, Fox News projects, catapulting the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist to the front of the still-crowded Democratic presidential primary field.

Sanders had been leading top rival Pete Buttigieg and several other candidates as results came in throughout the evening, though only by a fraction of his 22-point margin of victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 New Hampshire primary. Buttigieg, meanwhile, touted his strong second-place finish as a sign that his campaign was "here to stay."

"Thank you New Hampshire," Sanders told cheering supporters late Tuesday, saying his campaign had won a "great victory."

"The reason that we won tonight in New Hampshire, we won last week in Iowa -- is because of the hard work of so many volunteers," Sanders continued. "And let me say tonight that this victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump."

New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary came days after Sanders won the popular vote in the botched Iowa caucuses. Buttigieg took home more delegates from that contest, however.

At the same time, Buttigieg wasn't the only Democrat standing between Sanders and the nomination. A late-surging Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar landed in third place in New Hampshire as votes continued rolling in.