Republican Donald Trump won the first of the swing states — North Carolina — a consolidated lead against Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the US presidential election.
Kamala Harris’s camp, however, is still hopeful of a victory as they described the race as “razor thin”. The camp also said that her “clearest path” to victory was through the so-called Blue Wall swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Kamala Harris’s campaign director Jen O’Malley Dillon insisted in an email to campaign staff, obtained by AFP, that “we feel good about what we’re seeing” in the Blue Wall.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller said the mood in the Republican’s camp in Florida was “positive.”
Donald Trump won Florida and Texas, winning 227 electoral college votes. Harris won California; she has earned 172 electoral college votes.
The majority number in the US election is 270.
Donald Trump is currently leading in Georgia, another swing state.
Meanwhile, several swing states received a bomb threat.
The FBI said the threats appeared to originate in Russia, which is accused by Washington of trying to meddle in the election. The threats were all hoaxes but succeeded in disrupting proceedings.
Decision Desk HQ projected Trump would also win Georgia, narrowing her path to victory through the Rust Belt trio of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, though she was behind in all three states.
Trump won 45% of Hispanic voters nationwide, trailing Harris with 53% but up 13 percentage points from 2020.
Voters whose top issue was the economy voted overwhelmingly for Trump, especially if they felt they were worse off financially than they were four years ago,
Trump voted earlier near his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
“If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’m gonna be the first one to acknowledge it,” Trump told reporters.
Harris, who had previously mailed her ballot to her home state of California, spent some of Tuesday in radio interviews encouraging listeners to vote. Later, she was due to address students at Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington where Harris was an undergraduate.
“To go back tonight to Howard University, my beloved alma mater, and be able to hopefully recognize this day for what it is, is full circle for me,” Harris said in a radio interview.
If Harris wins, she would become the first woman president of the country.
With inputs from AFP, Reuters
