New Hampshire ? Former Sen. John Edwards’ uphill climb toward the White House grew steeper Tuesday after he finished a distant third among Democrats in the nation’s first presidential primary.

The loss follows a second-place finish in Thursday’s Iowa Democratic caucus. Each defeat makes it harder to raise money and harder to convince potential supporters that he can win. Edwards is the only Democrat with the experience of a previous White House bid, but he fared only marginally better in the critical first two contests than he did four years ago.

But Edwards didn’t waver Tuesday night, when he told supporters in Manchester, “Two races down,” Edwards said. “48 states to go.”

Edwards was scheduled to fly to South Carolina today for appearances at Clemson University at noon and in Columbia at 8 p.m. to gear up for the state’s Jan. 26 Democratic primary. He trails in polls in the Palmetto State, where he was born, and a critical early contest for presidential contenders in both parties.