Trump Vs Harris: How And Why The Table Turned In Pennsylvania?
Former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump has won Pennsylvania, defeating Democratic Kamala Harris in one of the major battleground US states. Trump became the second Republican presidential candidate to win Pennsylvania since 1988. At 78, Trump has become the oldest person ever elected to the US presidency, and his vice-presidential nominee, Ohio Senator JD Vance, 40, makes history as the highest-ranking millennial in the US government.
In Pennsylvania Trump secured victory with 51.2% votes while Harris lagged behind with 47.8% votes. However early voting results showed the Democratic candidate’s victory but tables were turned later with a clear majority victory for Donald Trump making him the 47th American President. The significant victory came just before 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, with over 92% of the votes tallied.
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Trump’s win in Pennsylvania is a remarkable shift from the 2020 election when the state flipped back to the Democrats. Along with Pennsylvania, Trump also flipped Georgia another state that also went to the Democrats in 2020, and retained North Carolina, a critical swing state. However, the results shocked many despite Trump and Elon Musk repeatedly posting about the alleged voting irregularities during early voting in Pennsylvania.
The state was the focus of fierce election campaigning, with both the presidential candidates made last minute appearances. Reportedly, over $279 million were spent on ads as of early October in the campaging efforst in Pennslyvania. Harris held rallies in major cities including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, whereas Trump’s final push was in Lancaster.
Pennsylvania was the at the centre stage for both the candidates due to its substantial 19 electoral votes. The Electoral College System, instead of a national popular vote determines the winner which makes the strategic victories in populous swing states essential.
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Trump won in Erie and Northampton counties, which are considered as the most critical bellwethers in the state. He also performed better in red counties in western part of the state. Also 50% of independent voters back him this time as opposed to 44% in 2020.
One major reason is also given by the analysts that a woman has still never won a top-of-the-ticket race in Pennsylvania. As per the reports Kamala Harris started at a disadvantage compared to other battlegrounds as she lacked Biden’s longtime political connections in the state.
Another reported factor is her decision to not to name Josh Shapiro, the state’s popular governor as her running mate. While Trump picked his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, due to his Rust Belt ties and his ability to connect with certain voters in western Pennsylvania.
