REPUBLICANS TAKE CONTROL OF U.S. SENATE; TRUMP WINS PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Update: Kamala Harris has congratulated Trump on his win. Republicans have also taken control of the House.

By Miriam Raftery

November 5, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – Former President Donald Trump has won two major battleground states, CNN and AP predict, and is edging closer to victory in the hotly contested presidential race.  Currently Trump is projected to have 247 electoral votes while Vice President Kamala Harris has 214.  At least 270 electoral college votes are needed to secure a win in the presidential race.

Of the seven battleground states,  AP has projected Trump the winner in Georgia and North Carolina.  He has leads in all of the other five swing states: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin with most votes counted, though some states could still flip as votes from large urban areas not yet tallied come in. However the path for a Harris win has narrowed, while Trump retains several paths to victory.

If Trump wins, he will have a Senate majority of his own party. Republicans have flipped control of the Senate by at least one seat to have a 51-seat majority. Senate control means Republicans will have the power to confirm the president’s cabinet and judicial appointees.

Control of the House has not yet been determined, and several close races in California could determine the outcome—and the only check remaining on a Trump presidency.

Trump voters have said the economy and border security were among their key issues, while Harris votes have cited fears over protecting American democracy and women's reproductive rights among their top concerns, as well as Trump's 34 felony convictions.