WASHINGTON — DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on the results of the New Hampshire primary:

“I want to congratulate tonight’s Democratic winner, Bernie Sanders for his victory in the New Hampshire primary. I would also like to congratulate both of our campaigns for their spirited engagement with Granite Staters, who take their first-in-the-nation responsibility so seriously.

“Both Democratic candidates for president have been smart and substantive, and they understand how to build on the incredible progress we’ve made over the last seven years to continue expanding opportunity for hardworking Americans.

“By contrast, Donald Trump’s victory tonight in New Hampshire should send a clear message to independent-minded and moderate Americans across the country – the rise of extreme elements in the Republican primary isn’t just entertainment anymore, it has overtaken the GOP. Donald Trump started his campaign calling immigrants rapists and drug dealers, eventually called for banning members of an entire religion from entering America and recently said he would bring back interrogation techniques ‘a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.’

“Trump’s dominance over the Republican Party is a troubling development in our politics, but it also means the choice this November will be crystal clear. I am more confident than ever that the American people will opt for Democratic leadership that has created more than 14 million new jobs. We must elect a Democrat as the 45th president of the United States.”