Trump's GA Win Over Harris Propels Him To 2nd Presidential Term

Updated at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday

GEORGIA — Former President Donald Trump, a Republican, will return to the White House after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Associated Press and NBC News projections.

To capture the presidency, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes. By Wednesday morning Harris had 226 of those votes to 286 for Trump, who won Georgia's 16 Electoral College votes.

Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, a comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.

The New York businessman was first elected to the presidential office in 2016, serving from 2017-21. He is projected to serve four more years as the 47th president.

While Harris closely trailed Trump, the Associated Press reported a win in Wisconsin nudged Trump over the edge to clear the 270 needed electoral votes.

Trump also notched a victory in the swing state of Georgia around 1 a.m. Wednesday, severely narrowing Harris' chances of winning the presidency, the Associated Press said at the time.

He visited Georgia multiple times in the past few weeks as he hit the campaign trail with running mate U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, his pick for vice president.

While the state has two Democratic U.S. senators, Trump’s victory proves Georgia still has a Republican bent. Six candidates appeared on Georgia ballots, but votes for Claudia De la Cruz and Cornel West were not counted.

The following preliminary results are updated as of 9:04 a.m. Wednesday with 159 precincts reporting:

For full coverage of the election in Georgia, go here.

Joe Biden narrowly carried Georgia in 2020, but Republicans have won every other Georgia presidential vote since 1996. Trump tried to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia, setting off a political and legal struggle that led to his indictment in the state.

Georgia is one of multiple states where Trump is facing charges for his alleged role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, when he was defeated by President Joe Biden, including inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump has yet to go to trial in Georgia on the racketeering and election interference charges he is facing; however, he was convicted of falsifying business records earlier this year in New York in a "hush money" case. He has not been sentenced.

He has also survived two assassination attempts in Pennsylvania and Florida.

Harris took over the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race earlier in the fall after a disastrous debate performance against Trump in September.

In Fulton County, Trump stands accused of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential results with 18 others in Georgia. He was indicted in August 2023.

Some election precincts experienced delays Tuesday due to false bomb threats and equipment issues, state and local officials said. Precincts in Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Fulton counties were impacted.

Harris vs. Trump on the Campaign Road

The battle between Harris and Trump entered the main stage during their first presidential debate held on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Harris, targeting her efforts toward the middle class, will focus on lowering taxes and minimizing costs associated with groceries, housing and health care, according to her campaign site. The former California attorney general claims to also center future endeavors on establishing good-paying jobs.

On the other side, Trump, a real state giant, promised to end inflation and remove taxation on tips, according to his website. He also vowed to block men from playing in women's sports, "deport pro-Hamas radicals" and rebuild cities.

During the debate, the two opponents bickered about the state of the economy since Trump's tenure as president. Harris used the opportunity to attack the aftermath of Trump's presidency.

"Let's talk about what Donald Trump left us," Harris said during the debate, per an ABC News transcript. "Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump's mess."

Harris contended Americans desire a unified society as she assured she would be a president for everyone.

She brought up the topic of Project 2025, an initiative by the Heritage Foundation that organizers said would "return the government to the people." The effort has been loudly criticized, and the American Civil Liberties Union has said it will fight back against the project's measures.

Trump vehemently denied any connections to Project 2025.

"Number one, I have nothing to do, as you know and as she knows better than anyone, I have nothing to do with Project 2025," Trump said during the debate. "That's out there. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it, purposely. I'm not going to read it. This was a group of people that got together, they came up with some ideas. I guess some good, some bad. But it makes no difference. I have nothing to do -- everybody knows I'm an open book. Everybody knows what I'm going to do."

When the economy was turned over to the Biden administration, Trump said the stock market at the time was higher than pre-pandemic.

Both candidates condemned each other for supposedly not having a plan when it comes to tax breaks; however, abortion rights have been the hot topic on the campaign road for Harris and Trump.

Most recently, Trump said he would veto any federal bans on abortions if he is elected.

"It is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters (the will of the people!)," he tweeted on Oct. 1. Like Ronald Reagan before me, I fully support the three exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. I do not support the Democrats radical position of late term abortion like, as an example, in the 7th, 8th, or 9th month or, in case there is any question, the possibility of execution of the baby after birth. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

EVERYONE KNOWS I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WOULD, IN FACT, VETO IT, BECAUSE IT IS UP TO THE STATES TO DECIDE BASED ON THE WILL OF THEIR VOTERS (THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!). LIKE RONALD REAGAN BEFORE ME, I FULLY SUPPORT THE THREE…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/realDonald... 2, 2024

Trump's wife and former First Lady Melania said in a video posted to X report that she supports abortion rights.

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard,” Melania Trump said. “Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?”

It is Harris' position that women should not be told what to do with their bodies. During the debate, she argued the government should have control over what happens to a woman's body such as those who are considered survivors of a crime.

"I have talked with women around our country," Harris said. "You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that. And I pledge to you when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law."

In an Oct. 1 tweet, Harris doubled down, saying: "Donald Trump and JD Vance will restrict our most fundamental freedoms: the freedom to vote, to make decisions about our own bodies, to love who we love openly and with pride."