Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain pulled off wins in the country’s first 2008 primaries in New Hampshire tonight.

Clinton’s win came after a tight race between her and Senator Barack Obama, where her support among female voters and older voters gave her the edge. The win is being called a comeback after her disappointing third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses last week. She is officially the first woman to win a presidential primary in America.

McCain’s campaign was in trouble before today–he had been written off by many as early as last summer. Exit polls showed that Independent voters–who make up over 40 percent of registered voters in New Hampshire–were swung to the McCain camp and helped to give him the win. Mitt Romney came in second and Iowa champ Mike Huckabee came in a distant third.

Last minute decisions were very much in play, as CNN reports that 18 percent of Republicans and 15 percent of Democrats said in exit polls that they picked their candidate on Election Day. The primary also saw record turnout, with 60 percent of registered voters heading to the polls.