7 Takeaways From Election Night as Trump Retakes White House

The 2024 race for the White House came to a close early in the morning on Nov. 6 with former President Donald Trump winning the presidency after taking several swing states.
With a win projected in Wisconsin by the Associated Press, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
Republicans regained control of the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House majority is still unknown, and decisions were made on important ballot measures in several states.
Trump called it a “magnificent victory” as it appeared he may secure enough votes to also win the popular vote, the first time a Republican has done so in 20 years.
A Trump victory makes him the first president since Grover Cleveland to win two nonconsecutive White House terms.
Polls showed a neck-and-neck race leading into late October, with some surveys throughout the battlegrounds tipping in Trump’s favor.
The Harris campaign saw promise in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, spending much of their resources in those states throughout the final weeks. All three were called for Trump by early Wednesday morning.
Based on some early estimates, particularly in Michigan and Georgia, turnout this year may exceed what the nation saw in 2020.
While official turnout data will not be available until all counties in each state finalize their election results, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said early on Election Day that, based on early voting numbers, the Peach State would likely surpass 2020 turnout by the time polls closed that evening.
Raffensperger expected more than 5 million votes in total, outpacing the state’s numbers four years prior when just under 5 million voted in the presidential election.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had a similar message while addressing reporters on election night.
When asked if she thought turnout would exceed 2020, she said, “That’s my hope.”
“We’re very hopeful that we’ll bring that turnout record we set in 2020. No matter what, it’s very clear turnout is high,” Benson said. “I’m really proud of that.”
In the National Election Pool exit poll conducted by Edison Research on Nov. 5, Trump made key gains with the minority group that makes up at least 13 percent of the American electorate.
Among respondents who identified themselves as Latinos, 53 percent of respondents said they voted for Harris and 45 percent said they voted for Trump. That is a 13 percentage point improvement over Trump’s performance with the group in 2020 when he ran against President Joe Biden.
Trump also saw significant improvements with Latino voters in the battleground states. In Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, he improved his performance with Latino voters by at least 10 percentage points over 2020.
In West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) won the open race to succeed retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.). The state, despite being a historically Democratic stronghold, has rapidly become Republican since 2015, when Trump emerged as a force in national politics. Justice had been widely expected to win the race.
Republicans will formally assume the majority on Jan. 3, 2025, when the 119th Congress takes office, after nearly four years in the minority. The Senate GOP will have significant influence over their agenda, controlling both executive and judicial nominations as well as all legislation.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won re-election to a third term, beating his Democratic rival Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas). Cruz won by over 10 percentage points, stymying Democrats’ hopes of winning a statewide race in Texas amid changing demographics.
In Nebraska, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) won re-election to a third term after defeating Independent candidate Dan Osborn, a union leader who closed the polling gap with her in the final weeks of the campaign. In response, Republican groups spent millions of dollars on attack advertisements in Nebraska to defend Fischer, despite the state’s overwhelming Republican lean. Fischer won by less than 5 percentage points.
For Trump, control of the House will be essential to carrying out his legislative agenda, particularly on issues like tax policy.
In his remarks, after many news outlets declared him the victor, Trump expressed confidence about his party’s prospects in the House.
Early returns paint a conflicting picture of the race so far.
In New York, home to several crucial House races, some Republican incumbents seem on track to retain their seats, including Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota.
However, Democrats also unseated two incumbents in the state: Josh Riley unseated Rep. Marc Molinaro while Democrat John Mannion won over Rep. Brandon Williams.
In New York, where the GOP won key races in 2022 in taking back the House, Democrats picked up seats in the state’s 19th and 22nd congressional districts.
In nearby Pennsylvania, Republicans also seemed poised to unseat two Democratic incumbents, Reps. Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright, with 99 percent of the vote reported.
In neighboring Ohio two Democratic incumbents, Reps. Emilia Sykes and Marcy Kaptur were positioned to retain their seats.
Several California races crucial to both parties remain too close to call.
In the blue states of Colorado, Maryland, and New York, voters approved measures to enshrine abortion access in their constitutions. In conservative South Dakota, where abortion is almost totally banned, a push to establish abortion access was soundly rejected.
In Florida, where the electorate is more politically diverse, a similar amendment that many thought might pass failed to reach the 60 percent majority needed for adoption. The result handed the pro-life movement its first win at the ballot box since Dobbs.
On the other hand, in red Nebraska, voters approved measures to legalize the possession and use of medicinal marijuana and create a commission to regulate the industry.