As the US presidential race reaches its climax, all eyes were on seven fiercely contested states poised to define the outcome. With both candidates, former President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, fighting for the White House, each swing state victory became a crucial piece in the puzzle to reach the necessary 270 electoral votes.
These seven states, five of which Trump carried in 2016 before flipping to Biden in 2020, would once again prove pivotal. Trump has a defined lead over Kamala in majority of these states, paving way for his entry into the White House.
Georgia
In Georgia, Donald Trump reclaimed victory, capturing the state’s 16 electoral votes and restoring it to the Republican column. After a narrow Biden win in 2020, Trump’s Georgia comeback illustrated the state’s enduring Republican inclination, despite its recent shifts.
Georgia became a battleground over Trump’s 2020 attempts to contest his loss here, a move that led to his indictment. Even though the state has two Democratic US senators, this election underscored its deep-seated conservative leanings.
North Carolina
North Carolina emerged as another victory for Trump, as he successfully defended this swing state from Kamala Harris’s strong attempts to flip it. In the campaign’s final days, Trump visited North Carolina multiple times, underscoring its importance. Despite Democrats’ substantial investments and Harris’s energetic door-to-door outreach, Trump’s continued popularity thwarted the Democratic push, marking another win for the former president and securing his electoral path.
Pennsylvania
Based on the latest projections from CNN and NBC News in the early hours of Wednesday, Donald Trump, the former Republican president, has secured Pennsylvania’s crucial 19 electoral votes.
This significant victory in the key battleground state has positioned Trump within reach of returning to the White House for a second term, ahead of his Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
Nevada
As 93% of Nevada’s votes were counted, Trump led Harris with 53.5% to her 46.1%, according to Edison Research. Known for its diverse population, Nevada has more registered nonpartisan voters than those affiliated with the two major parties, making it a challenging yet strategic battleground. In recent elections, Democrats have won here by diminishing margins, and this trend appeared to benefit Trump as he retained a strong lead.
Arizona
With around 51% of the vote counted, Arizona showed Trump narrowly ahead of Harris, with 940,508 votes compared to her 921,341. Arizona, which Biden narrowly won by 10,457 votes in 2020, has once again become a tight race. This desert battleground, marked by shifting demographics and changing political tides, remained a hotly contested arena in the 2024 election.
Michigan
Michigan, once part of the Democrats’ “blue wall,” saw Trump leading with 68% of the votes counted. According to the Associated Press, he held 2,114,151 votes, or 52.3%, compared to Harris’s 1,862,416. Although Michigan was essential to Harris’s electoral strategy, Trump’s strong polling underscored the state’s shifting loyalties. Michigan, where Trump won by 155,000 votes in 2020, was again proving its importance in the Republican path to victory.
Wisconsin
With approximately 89% of the votes counted, Wisconsin showed Trump leading with 1,553,988 votes, while Harris trailed at 1,430,314. Wisconsin, like Michigan and Pennsylvania, had voted for Trump in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. Its electoral weight in 2024 highlighted its role as a critical swing state that both candidates viewed as essential for claiming the presidency.