UNITED STATES—On November 5, at 6:00 p.m. the first polls of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election closed in Indiana with both in-person and mail-in ballots being tallied together. The electoral votes needed for the win were 270. Donald J. Trump gave his acceptance speech as the 47th President of the United States from Palm Beach Florida. Former 2023 Senator JD Vance (R-OH) now will take office as the 50th Vice President of the United States.
There are more votes to be counted in the morning. Trump has bridged the gap after winning both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and garnering 277 electoral votes to Kamala Harris’s 226. No recount is expected as Trump-Vance won by over the .05 percent margin. Trump is the first Republican to win the popular vote since George W. Bush defeated John Kerry in 2004.
At 8:41 CST, Fox News decision desk announced Trump as the projected winner for Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Nebraska, Montana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Utah, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Alabama
Harris won Vermont, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Oregon, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Delaware, Washington DC, Rhode Island, Illinois, Iowa, and Hawaii
On Wednesday, November 6, enough Senate votes were counted to confirm that Republicans will hold at least a 52-48 majority for Republicans to win control of the U.S. Senate.
Republican U.S. Navy Seal, Tim Sheehy unseated Democrat Senator Jon Tester flipping a Democratic seat in Montana. Republican West Virginia Governor, Jim Justice won the seat of former Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV).
Senate Majority Leader, Mitch Mc Connell who has maintained his position as Leader since 2021, is stepping down. McConnell has served in the U.S. Senate since 1985. Republicans will be tasked with choosing a new leader next week.
Republicans may keep control of the House of Representatives as well. Some of those seats also flipped from blue to red in this election cycle. The ballot counts have not been completed to know the outcome of the race for U.S. Congressional seats.
As of 10:00 a.m. tally of congressional seats with 182 for Democrats while Republicans still maintain at least 226 seats in the House of Representatives. Final counts will be published as they are counted.