Early Wednesday, Donald Trump won Pennsylvania, putting him within four electoral votes of defeating Kamala Harris to reclaim the White House. A win in any remaining battlegrounds—Alaska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, or Nevada—could secure his return to the Oval Office.
Pennsylvania, traditionally part of the “blue wall” with Michigan and Wisconsin, had been a Democratic stronghold but flipped for Trump in 2016 before returning to the Democrats in 2020. This year, Trump also took Georgia, which had voted Democratic in the last election, and retained North Carolina, another closely watched state. These gains significantly reduced Harris’ path to victory.
At Harris’ watch party at her alma mater, Howard University, supporters began to leave after midnight when her campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond announced, “We will continue overnight to ensure every vote is counted.” He noted that Harris would speak to supporters the following day.
Trump was scheduled to address his supporters in Florida early Wednesday. He also won Florida, a former battleground now leaning more Republican, as well as traditionally Republican states like Texas, South Carolina, and Indiana. Harris won Virginia and Democratic strongholds like New York, New Mexico, and California, along with New Hampshire and an Electoral College vote in Nebraska.
Trump’s campaign focused on appealing to Black and Latino voters, engaging with male-centric podcasts and making targeted racial appeals. According to AP VoteCast, Harris saw slightly lower support from Black and Latino voters compared to Joe Biden’s in 2020, while Trump’s backing among these groups showed a modest rise.
Harris’ campaign emphasized the “fate of democracy,” portraying Trump as a “fascist” in closing messages. Voters supporting Harris were largely driven by concerns about democracy, while Trump’s base focused on immigration and inflation.
In his recent North Carolina visits, Trump discussed Hurricane Helene’s damage, controversially raising funds via GoFundMe. He initially backed Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson but distanced himself after CNN reported past offensive posts by Robinson, who later lost to Democrat Josh Stein.
The GOP saw further successes, taking control of the Senate. Trump-backed Bernie Moreno won in Ohio, flipping a seat held by Democrat Sherrod Brown, and Jim Justice captured a West Virginia seat left vacant by Joe Manchin’s retirement.
Election Day mostly proceeded smoothly, with some typical disruptions like long lines and technical issues. Authorities dismissed multiple bomb threats as non-credible, assuring the election process was unaffected.
Harris, 60, would be the first woman, Black woman, and person of South Asian descent elected as president, and the first sitting vice president to win the presidency in 36 years. Trump, 78, would be the oldest president elected, the first defeated president in 132 years to reclaim the White House, and the first person with a felony conviction to take office. He narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July, with Secret Service thwarting another in September.
In her final campaign hours, Harris softened her tone, avoiding mention of Trump’s name on Monday. This election also saw votes on thousands of races, including Congress and state ballot measures like abortion access. In Florida, a ballot initiative to protect abortion rights failed to meet the required 60% threshold, marking the first such measure to fail since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Trump declined to disclose his stance on the measure when asked.
