Donald Trump achieved victory in Arizona on Saturday, reclaiming the state and its 11 electoral votes for the Republican Party after Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election. This marks Trump’s second win in the state since he first secured Arizona in 2016, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s campaign emphasized themes of border security and economic stability, highlighting issues like inflation and the surge in illegal border crossings that occurred during Biden’s presidency.

The outcome of this election casts a shadow over Arizona Democrats, who had hoped to build upon their recent momentum, which began with their successful takeover of a longstanding Republican Senate seat in 2018. Their progress continued with victories in both the 2020 and 2022 elections, but this recent loss marks a setback for the party. Joe Biden was notably the second Democrat to win the state of Arizona in seven decades. The announcement of Trump’s win by the Associated Press came in at 9:21 p.m. EST, sealing his return to prominence in the state.