Trump wins second term, Republicans win big in Pennsylvania on Election Day

Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States after earning the necessary electoral votes in the early hours of Wednesday morning. 

The race for president was like no other in recent memory, with a last-minute drop-out by President Joe Biden that led to Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket, followed by two assassination attempts against Trump. After a campaign of 107 days, Harris fell short of the necessary 270 electoral votes and is likely to lose the popular vote.

Trump, who had begun his campaign for his reelection shortly after his 2020 loss, has clinched 295 electoral votes as of Thursday and is expected to earn up to 312 once Nevada and Arizona — both leaning Republican — are counted, compared to Harris’ 226. 

The tense 2024 presidential election was expected to be a close one. The election results heavily relied on the seven swing states, particularly the blue wall of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Every single swing state went or is projected to go Republican for the 2024 election.

After three critical swing states — North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania — were called early Wednesday morning, Trump took the stage in Palm Beach, Florida, at around 2:30 a.m. to declare election victory. He called his election win “a magnificent victory for the American people” during his 25-minute address.

“We are going to help this country heal,” Trump said. “This will truly be the golden age of America.”

Trump thanked a number of members on his team and other prominent members, including Elon Musk. He called his 2024 election efforts “the greatest campaign of all time.”

Harris supporters gathered Tuesday night into Wednesday morning at Harris’ alma mater, Howard University. Cedric Richmond, Harris’ campaign co-chair, addressed the crowd in lieu of Harris, telling them that Harris would speak later on Wednesday. 

At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Harris gave her concession speech at Howard University. The crowd was filled with tearful supporters, but Harris reassured them that the fight wasn’t over.

“It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be OK,” Harris said. “On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing, here’s the thing — sometimes, the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

Harris called Trump earlier that afternoon to congratulate him on his presidential win. 

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said. “Hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

In Allegheny County, Democratic Representatives Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio each earned a second term. But across Pennsylvania, Republicans saw major victories. Dave McCormick ousted three-term senator Bob Casey to help flip the U.S. Senate to a Republican majority. Dave Sunday, Tim DeFoor and Stacy Garrity — Republican candidates for Attorney General, Auditor General and Treasurer, respectively — all won their races against Democratic challengers.

In Harrisburg, Republicans maintained control of the state Senate while the state House tied 101-101 as of Thursday. The remaining tiebreaking seat is held by a Democratic incumbent.

On Thursday morning, Biden addressed the nation and spoke about his commitment to a “peaceful and orderly transition” with Trump. Biden applauded election workers and the integrity of the electoral system. He told Americans that “setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.”

“We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated,” Biden said. “The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up. That’s the story of America for over 240 years and counting.”