WASHINGTON — In a significant development early Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump emerged victorious in his sixth crucial battleground state of the 2024 election by defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in Nevada.
This announcement came after an assessment determined that the remaining uncounted ballots in the state’s most prominent Democratic regions were insufficient to surpass Trump’s leading margin of 46,000 votes over his opponent.
The former president secured his second term earlier this week when Wisconsin tipped the electoral count in his favor, bringing him past the necessary 270 electoral votes.
The addition of Nevada’s six electoral votes boosted his total to 301, with Trump achieving victories in six of the seven battleground states, leaving only Arizona still pending its results.
The declaration of the winner is made only once it is established that the trailing candidate cannot catch up to the candidate in the lead.
Here’s a brief summary of how the results were determined:
CANDIDATES: Harris (D), Trump (R), Chase Oliver (Libertarian), Joel Skousen (Independent American Party), and “None of these candidates.”
WINNER: Trump.
POLL CLOSING TIME: 10 p.m. ET.
ABOUT THE RACE:
Nevada has a strong historical record as a predictor in presidential elections, although the state leaned toward Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump during the 2016 election.
It remains a fiercely competitive region.
Throughout their campaigns, both Trump and Harris frequently visited Nevada after securing their nominations, taking part in rallies in Clark County, which houses Las Vegas and Henderson.
The focus of both campaigns was primarily on these two cities as well as Reno in Washoe County, highlighting the strategic importance of those locales.
In statewide elections, Democrats typically succeed in only two out of Nevada’s 17 counties: Clark and Washoe.
Their success largely depends on the margins they achieve within these areas.
With the highest population, Clark County plays a critical role in Democratic wins, accounting for 69% of the total statewide vote in the 2020 election.
Washoe County represents a more mixed political landscape, where Democrats have managed to succeed in several high-stakes statewide contests, including Governor Steve Sisolak’s unsuccessful bid for reelection in 2022.
Conversely, Republicans tend to achieve significant wins across the rest of the state.
WHY THE RACE WAS DECLARED:
The majority of outstanding ballots waited to be counted from Clark and Washoe counties, both of which have a long-standing tendency to support Democratic presidential candidates.
Historical data suggests that votes counted after Election Day have frequently favored Democrats statewide.
As the week progressed and additional ballots were counted, Trump’s leading margin somewhat diminished; however, Harris did not achieve a sufficient margin on these late-counted ballots to take the lead.
At the moment the race was called, estimates indicated that Harris would have needed to secure 85% of the remaining ballots—an achievement she had not reached in any updates since the polls closed.