Donald Trump emerged victorious in Arizona’s presidential election, completing victory in all seven swing states over Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Edison Research projected on Saturday.
Trump secured the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the White House by Wednesday morning. He won the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Nevada, but has now won Arizona and is expected to take a total of 312 votes to Harris’ 226. The victory put the state back on the Republican side after Joe Biden won in 2020 and marked Trump’s second win in Arizona since 2016.
In 2020, Biden defeated Trump, winning six of seven swing states – he lost slightly in North Carolina – and received 306 electoral college votes to Trump’s 232. In 2016, Trump also got 306 votes in his victory over Hillary Clinton. This time, Trump campaigned on border security and economic issues, linking Harris to inflation and record illegal border crossings during the Biden administration, securing his victory as a result.
In the key US Senate race in Arizona between Republican Kari Lake and Democrat Ruben Gallego, Lake, who has always denied that Biden won the 2020 White House election fairly, was trailing the Democrat 48.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent, or about 33,000 votes, as of mid-morning Saturday.
Republicans appear close to gaining control of the US House of Representatives, in addition to control of the Senate. After Congress approves the results of the electoral college vote on 6 January, Trump and his future vice president, US Senator J.D. Vance, are scheduled to take office on 20 January. In addition, Trump and Biden will meet Wednesday in the Oval Office. Biden said he intends “to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition.”
