Trump wins Pennsylvania, securing Harris' crucial swing state

Former President Donald Trump won projects in Pennsylvania and secured 19 Electoral College votes in the most closely contested state in the race, according to NBC News.

Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris is only the second win by a Republican in a presidential race in Pennsylvania since 1988. Trump was the only other Republican candidate to win the state when he won it in 2016. It is also the first time a Republican has won a high-profile race in the Keystone State since Trump's victory this year.

By taking over Pennsylvania, Trump moves one step closer to retaking the White House, four years after he lost the state to Joe Biden. He and MAGA-affiliated candidates, including former Rep. Lou Barletta, state Sen. Doug Mastriano and prominent physician Mehmet Oz, had otherwise failed to win high-profile swing state races in the past eight years.

Both Trump and Harris spent more time and resources in Pennsylvania than any other state during the campaign. Trump won victories in Erie and Northampton counties, considered the state's key frontrunners. He also performed better in red counties in the western part of the state, long a major source of GOP votes in Pennsylvania.

NBC News exit polls showed Trump winning 57% of the Latino vote in the state, after exit polls in 2020 showed him winning just 27% of the Latino vote in Pennsylvania. Another key element of his victory: 50% of independent voters support him this time, up from 44% in 2020.

Although Harris made more appearances in the state after entering the race and spent more money there than Trump, it wasn't enough. No woman has ever won a high-profile race in the state. Some Pennsylvania insiders felt she was at a disadvantage compared to other battlegrounds because she lacked Biden's longstanding political connections in the state.

Meanwhile, officials on both sides, particularly in Pennsylvania, believed Harris would secure her victory in Pennsylvania by nominating Josh Shapiro, the state's popular governor, as her running mate. Her decision not to name him will now be subject to further consideration, although he said in a statement that he had reservations about the job after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was selected.

Trump, meanwhile, chose his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, because of his Rust Belt ties and because he and his allies believed he would be able to connect with certain voters in western Pennsylvania who wanted to get them to vote.