Former U.S. President Donald Trump was on track to secure a second term in the White House following a decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Trump had gained significant wins in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, while also leading in other crucial swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona. Though these states were still too close to call, with millions of votes left to count, Trump’s momentum seemed clear as the night progressed.
“We’ve been given a powerful, unprecedented mandate,” Trump declared to a jubilant crowd in Florida early Wednesday, surrounded by his family and running mate, JD Vance. Vance echoed the sentiment, calling the outcome “the greatest political comeback in American history.” Despite early leads in several vital battlegrounds, Harris saw her advantage wane as more results came in. Although her campaign remained hopeful that the remaining votes could shift the outcome, it dampened enthusiasm among Democratic supporters.
“We will continue to fight to ensure every vote is counted, and every voice is heard,” said Cedric Richmond, co-chair of Harris’s campaign, addressing a subdued crowd outside Howard University in Washington, D.C. He added that Harris would not comment on the results until later in the day, urging the crowd to go home as the campaign entered a tense waiting period.
The election’s central issues—such as the economy, immigration, and the state of democracy—drove high voter turnout, which was expected to break the record set in 2020, when over 66% of eligible voters cast ballots. Republicans were also poised to take control of the U.S. Senate, having flipped at least two seats, and were battling to maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives. A Republican sweep of Congress would significantly ease Trump’s path to implementing his agenda if he returns to the White House.
Georgia was the first battleground state to report results after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET, though some polling stations in the state had been delayed due to hoax bomb threats earlier in the day. Harris was projected to win 20 states, including traditional Democratic strongholds like Virginia, California, New York, and Illinois, as well as the District of Columbia.
For the first time in his political career, Trump was also expected to win the popular vote, outperforming his previous showing in 2020. The Republican candidate had made notable gains with voters across the country, particularly among those dissatisfied with the Biden administration’s handling of economic and immigration issues. Trump’s victory in Iowa was particularly surprising, given pre-election polls that had suggested Harris might carry the state.
Tens of millions of Americans voted on Election Day, adding to the 84 million who had already cast early ballots. Voter turnout was high, and while there were occasional issues—such as long lines, technical glitches, and ballot printing errors—overall, the election process ran smoothly. The tight race, marked by sharp contrasts between the two candidates’ visions for the future, set the stage for what many considered one of the most consequential elections in recent U.S. history.
Harris, the first woman to run for president as a major party nominee, had promised to continue much of the Biden administration’s policy, with an emphasis on bipartisan cooperation to address economic challenges. Meanwhile, Trump campaigned on an aggressive agenda, pledging to overhaul federal bureaucracy, impose sweeping tariffs on foreign imports, and carry out what he called the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
