Staff Reports
The 2024 election results are painting a picture of triumph for President-Elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party. With Trump securing a commanding 312 electoral votes and even edging out a popular vote win—an achievement reminiscent of the good old days of 2004—Republicans are ready to pop the champagne. The narrative is simple: Trump’s campaign strategy has evidently flummoxed the Democrats and put the traditional blue strongholds in play, especially those seven swing states that Democrats once considered their playground.
One of the bright spots was Trump’s engagement in swing states. Arizona, traditionally a toss-up, fell in line, but the real story lies in Virginia, where Trump seemed to have stirred the pot. Virginians haven’t voted Republican since 2004, but recent trends are worth noting. Once again, Harris barely squeaked by with a win, and as the numbers shifted, Virginia’s “Lean Democratic” rating became more questionable. Trump rallied the troops in Virginia with Governor Glenn Youngkin, clearly believing that this state is ripe for the taking. Whether Youngkin’s name will come up in future presidential talks remains to be seen, but his recent successes signal that the GOP is gaining ground.
Of course, Ohio played its part, thanks to Senator JD Vance, who made headlines as a sound selection for Trump’s ticket. Vance’s Ohio roots and a more than 11-point victory this time around highlight a significant pickup from previous elections, where Trump won the state by only a mere 8 points. The election results not only boosted Trump but also helped Republicans chip away at the Democrats’ Blue Wall, laying waste to the idea that the Rust Belt is a lost cause for them.
Donald Trump May Not Have Won These States but He Came Close to Victoryhttps://t.co/5kKhHwllM0
— vannschaffner (@vannschaffner) November 8, 2024
New Hampshire, which has leaned left for decades, surprised absolutely no one when it elected Republican Kelly Ayotte as governor. The shift signals a potential awakening among Granite State voters, who may have grown weary of Democratic rule in their backyard. While Harris held a slight margin over Ayotte, the fact that Republicans are starting to make headway in traditionally blue states sends a message that they are not ready to be dismissed as out of touch or irrelevant.
Meanwhile, in states like New Jersey and New York, where optimism often dies harder than a cockroach after a nuclear blast, Trump made commendable strides. Despite the Empire State voting Democrat since 1988, Trump’s efforts meant he lost New York by only 11.6 points—a feat that isn’t exactly setting off fireworks, but it’s still progress. Considering that Harris’s margin was notably smaller than Biden’s resounding 23-point victory in 2020, it appears the Democrats’ grip on New York is starting to wane. That said, voters could be figuring out that “the party of the people” isn’t representing them anymore.
And so, moving over to New Mexico and Minnesota, states that donned the “blue” cap for what feels like centuries. Even though both states still leaned Democratic, prominent GOP victories at the state level shout that support for Trump is growing. Voter sentiment is shifting, and while Trump himself may not return to the ballot, the groundwork has been laid for future Republican contenders. With Democrats losing steam, it’s clear that although the road ahead is long, they can no longer afford to take voters for granted in any state, whether it’s a solid blue or a purported battleground.
