Dems fight for votes in critical primary battleground of New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Several Democratic presidential candidates urged voters in New Hampshire on Saturday not to play it safe in the 2020 election, leveling an implicit critique of front-runner Joe Biden.

Biden has centered his campaign on his years of experience in Washington and a perceived ability to steal the support of white, working-class voters away from President Trump. Speaking at the New Hampshire Democrats’ state convention, Biden’s rivals told voters to aim for more.

“There is a lot at stake and people are scared. But we can’t choose a candidate we don’t believe in because we’re scared,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who drew a raucous reception. “And we can’t ask other people to vote for someone we don’t believe in.”

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker also urged voters to seek more than simply a candidate they believe can beat Trump. “Beating Donald Trump is the floor, it’s not the ceiling,” Booker said.

Warren, Booker and others never mentioned Biden by name. But the target of their message was clear: the former vice president who has led primary polls throughout the year despite questions about whether a 76-year-old white man is best-positioned to be the standard-bearer for an increasingly diverse party.

Saturday’s convention kicked off a critical stretch of the campaign in New Hampshire, which in February will hold the nation’s first primary. Nineteen candidates descended on the state to rally voters and flex their campaign’s organizational strength in front of New Hampshire’s political power brokers, most of whom are still up for grabs.

Much of Biden’s strength in the race thus far is tied to the perception that he is best positioned to defeat Trump, given his more moderate policies, working-class background and reservoir of goodwill he built up with many Democrats...