Harris wins Virginia in 2024 presidential election, AP says
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Kamala Harris and Tim Walz at a campaign event in Philadelphia in August. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris is the winner in Virginia in the presidential election, according to the AP.
Why it matters: It gives her 13 electoral college votes toward becoming the first Black and Asian American woman to become president of the United States.
State of play: Trump and Gov. Youngkin have been saying that Virginia would flip in this year's presidential election, an outcome that seemed highly unlikely as recent polls consistently showed Vice President Harris pulling ahead statewide.
- But this win was much closer than expected — 51% to Trump's 47.4% with about 83% of precincts reporting as of 11:45pm — even when just considering recent presidential elections.
- Hillary Clinton won 49.7% of Virginia to Trump's 44.4 in 2016, per the state's elections database, or by 5 points.
- And Trump lost Virginia by 10 points in 2020, with major population centers like metro Richmond, NoVa and Hampton Roads handing Biden a clear victory.
The latest: Trump is losing the Democratic stronghold by about 4 points this time, barely vindicating state Democrats' belief that a Trump victory in Virginia was a longshot.
- Virginians haven't voted for a Republican president in 20 years.
Yes, but: A Democrat winning the presidency could help Virginia Republicans in 2025, when residents will vote for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
- That's because Virginia has a track record of electing a governor who is the opposite political party of the sitting president, per the state elections database.
- Only once in the past 50 years was that not true: The year after Barack Obama's reelection, former Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe won against Republican Ken Cuccinelli.
What we're watching: Trump and other Republicans have helped set up doubt in the election results by peddling baseless voter fraud claims that include non-citizens voting and influencing outcomes.
- In Virginia, attempts from Youngkin to purge alleged non-citizens from the voter rolls too close to Election Day prompted lawsuits and an order from a federal judge to put those people back because the state couldn't prove it didn't remove eligible voters.
- The Supreme Court overrode that decision last week, allowing Virginia to continue its program while officials appeal the lower court's ruling.
- But there's still a chance Trump will challenge Virginia's results.
Go deeper: Live results for other top races in Virginia
This is breaking news and will be updated