On November 6, Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 presidential race after Fox News projected him as the winner over Harris, marking a remarkable political comeback four years after leaving the White House.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump said at the Palm Beach County Convention Centre where he was greeted with cheers.”
While other news outlets are yet to declare Trump the winner, he seemed on the brink of victory after securing key battleground states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, and maintaining leads in four other states, according to Edison Research.
Trump’s early declaration of securing the White House comes amid four key states voting to protect abortion rights. More than two years after the US Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the federal constitutional right to an abortion, voters in 10 states are deciding whether to enshrine reproductive rights in their state constitutions.
Measures to protect abortion access are projected to pass in Arizona, Colorado, New York, and Maryland, according to CNN. In New York, Colorado, and Maryland, where abortion remains legal up to at least the point of viability, the measures would preserve current access. In Arizona, the amendment is expected to reverse the state’s current ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
However, a Florida amendment aimed at protecting the right to an abortion up to the point of viability is projected to fail, with the amendment falling short of the required 60% voter approval. As a result, the state’s six-week ban will remain in effect.
Meanwhile, three other states—Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota—had ballot measures focused on whether to overturn existing abortion bans or restrictive policies.
In Nebraska, voters are also considering a competing measure that would enshrine the state’s current abortion ban in the constitution.
According to CNN, Republicans are making headway toward a GOP majority in the US Senate. A GOP majority in the Senate would bolster Trump’s chances of becoming the next US president and create a significant roadblock for Vice President Harris if she wins the White House.
The Senate takeover marks the first victory for the Republicans, who currently hold 51 seats in the chamber. The GOP now awaits a Republican leader to serve as the chamber’s chair when it convenes in January to commemorate a new presidential term in 2025. The tussle for power is ongoing between Harris and Trump, with the GOP clinging to its slim majority in the House of Representatives.
If Trump wins a second term, the newly elected GOP Senate would be in a strategic position to support the Republican agenda. Alternatively, in the case of a Harris win, she would likely face challenges in securing Senate confirmation for her Cabinet members and judicial nominees, and a GOP-controlled Senate could block her domestic policy initiatives.
The Republican push for control began early on election night, with West Virginia Governor Jim Justice projected to win the Senate seat left vacant by the retirement of former Democratic Senator-turned-independent Joe Manchin. Democrats had ceased contesting the seat after Manchin announced he would not seek reelection.
In Ohio, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who has served for three terms, is expected to lose his reelection bid, according to CNN projections. Once a key swing state, Ohio has shifted firmly to the right, becoming a solid Republican stronghold. The new GOP senator will be industrialist Bernie Moreno, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.