Former President Donald Trump got good news early in his race to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Associated Press has called Florida for Trump. While he also won the state in 2020, Trump bested President Joe Biden by just 4 points in that cycle. Shortly after polls closed this time around, Trump held a lead of roughly 13% with about 90% of the vote called.
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While Florida has gone increasingly red under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), the margin of Trump’s victory was notable, especially given an abortion measure on the ballot that has traditionally tended to drive Democratic turnout in other states.
Major swing states have not yet been called, which leaves the presidential contest too close to call.
But in battleground Georgia, Trump is also leading in early returns and has secured expected wins in red states like Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
It hasn’t been all bad for Harris. She has been declared the winner of Vermont, Maryland, Washington D.C., and a handful of New England states.
It’s the end of a very long campaign that has stretched out for nearly two years for Trump.
After securing the Republican nomination, Trump held a polling lead over President Joe Biden for most of this year before Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate led to his exit from the race.
Harris replaced Biden on July 21 and flipped the race upside down, erasing Trump’s advantage for much of the fall before the national polls evened up in the final weeks.
Both campaigns spent almost all of their time in the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Harris spent her final day of campaigning with four separate rallies in Pennsylvania, while Trump stumped in North Carolina, held two rallies in Pennsylvania, and then finished the day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same city where he ended his 2016 and 2020 runs.
Trump focused most of his campaign on the economy and illegal immigration, saying both were superior under his leadership than under the Biden-Harris administration. Harris focused on abortion access and Trump’s actions following the 2020 election, saying he is a threat to democracy and promising to “turn the page.”
States called for Trump so far
Indiana
Kentucky
West Virginia
South Carolina
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Florida
Arkansas
States called for Harris so far
Vermont
Maryland
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island
New Jersey
Washington, D.C.