WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The winner of the 2024 presidential election was not yet known as the vote tallies from Nov. 5 continued to be counted into the next day’s early morning hours, with most swing states yet to be called.
The Associated Press projected former President Donald Trump the winner in North Carolina, while ABC, CNN and NBC projected Trump the winner in Georgia.
Meanwhile, Jen O’Malley Dillon, campaign chair for Vice President Kamala Harris, pointed to outstanding votes in urban centers in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania as cause for optimism in a memo to staff.
“We have known all along that our clearest path to 270 electoral votes lies through the Blue Wall states. And we feel good about what we’re seeing,” she said.
Votes likewise continued to be counted in the swing states of Arizona and Nevada.
As of Nov. 6 at 1:30 a.m. EST, Trump led Harris in the Electoral College count 247 to 214, according to projections by the AP. Those projections also showed Trump leading Harris in every battleground state.
An hour later, the AP called Trump the winner of Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes, putting him near victory with a 267 to 220 lead over Harris.
Either candidate must cross the threshold of 270 electoral votes to be declared the winner of the presidential election.
Republicans were projected to win control of the U.S. Senate, after Ohio Republican candidate Bernie Moreno defeated the state’s Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, and West Virginia’s Republican Gov. Jim Justice, was elected to the seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin, a Catholic and the Senate’s last pro-life Democrat.
In a statement, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., currently the minority whip and who is now in the running to become the Republican majority leader in the Senate, said, “The Biden-Harris administration has forced the American people to endure four years of high prices, open borders, and chaos on the world stage.”
“Tonight, with Republicans reclaiming majority control of the U.S. Senate, we can begin to turn the page on this expensive and reckless chapter of American history,” Thune said. “As we wait for additional results, I am optimistic that President Trump will be successful, our majority will grow stronger, and we can continue our work together to create a safer and more secure
country for every American.”
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives was not yet clear.
The balance of power in Congress will have a major role in approving or blocking the next president’s agenda and nominees.
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) @kgscanlon.
