The 2024 election was one week ago, and it was a decisive victory for the GOP, one that will shape the future of America. President-elect Donald Trump won decisively by sweeping all seven swing states, earning 312 electoral votes to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 226.
Republicans also gained control of the Senate with 53 seats after flipping seats in West Virginia, Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Democrats narrowly held their seats in Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona. Maryland elected Prince George’s County Exec. Angela Alsobrooks (D) to the Senate with over 53% of the vote. Alsobrooks will become Maryland’s first Black Senator.
Control of the House of Representatives is still uncalled, and may not be decided for weeks. Republicans are more likely to win the lower legislature, securing them a political trifecta for the first time since 2016. As of Tuesday, Republicans have won 214 seats, Democrats 205. Uncalled races in California, Washington and Oregon — left-leaning Western states that take longer to count votes — will decide control. Incumbent Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) won Maryland’s 8th District, which includes Montgomery County, by 55 points. Of Maryland’s eight districts, all but the 1st district elected Democrats.
After results showed clear victories in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Trump claimed victory early Wednesday morning and said, “I will not rest until we deliver the safe, strong and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve.”
Harris conceded the election to Trump on Wednesday, in a return to precedence after Trump’s refusal to admit that he lost the 2020 election. The vice president urged supporters to “never give up” and said, “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.” President Biden described Trump’s win as a “setback,” but said, “A defeat does not mean we are defeated.” The president also said his administration would work for a “peaceful and orderly transition” of power.
Democrats saw a significant erosion of support from key demographics, with more than 90% of all counties shifting to the right since 2020. Trump made significant gains with Latino and young voters, as well as with individuals without a college education. Harris, while losing votes in crucial groups, did make small gains among white voters, Black women and voters above the age of 65.
Trump is likely to be the first Republican to win the national popular vote in almost 20 years, although many polling stations, mostly Democratic areas in California, are still counting votes. He is the second president to have multiple nonconsecutive terms, with the first being Grover Cleveland in the nineteenth century. He will be the oldest president in history at 78 years and 220 days on Inauguration Day, passing Biden’s previous record of 78 years and 61 days at inauguration. This is the third straight election in which the victor has broken the record of the oldest president.
While turnout isn’t final as polling stations are still counting votes, this election likely saw a slight decrease in voter turnout from 2020, with roughly 64.5% of the electorate voting in this election compared to 66% four years ago. Harris is on track to get roughly 75 million votes, compared to 81 million for Biden in 2020, suggesting a dropoff in Democratic turnout. The third-party vote was significantly lower than expected, with all third parties, including Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver, getting just 1.6% of the vote combined.
Despite Trump winning easily, polls suggested a tight race, leading many to believe polls were off by a large margin this year. However, the average polling error in the seven swing states was just 2.2 points, the smallest margin in 25 years. For comparison, the error of battleground state polls was roughly 4.7 points in 2016 and 2020.
Trump’s victory also signals a likely end to his pending legal cases, with special counsel Jack Smith pausing all deadlines in the case accusing the former president of trying to overturn the 2020 election. Trump’s sentencing for the New York “hush-money” case, set for Nov. 26, will also likely be called off.
The election’s results will change American foreign policy drastically, as many foreign leaders expressed their feelings about the outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the president-elect, calling him a “brave man.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy similarly lent his congratulations to Trump, saying that Ukraine is “interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation.” Other leaders struck a more hesitant tone, as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said “Mexico will always prevail” and that “there is no reason to worry” for Mexicans.
Americans can expect Trump’s presidency to reshape the United States government in ways never seen before. Trump has stated his intention to terminate the constitution and said he plans to rule like a dictator “on day one.” Policy-wise, he plans to close the southern border and begin his promise of mass deportations, as well as pardon the Jan. 6 rioters. He’s also said he intends to fire Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought federal cases against him, cut federal funding for schools allowing discussions on race, gender or sexual orientation, withdraw America from the Paris climate agreement and terminate the Green New Deal — a bill that would significantly work to prevent climate change.
Locally, Maryland voters passed a ballot amendment adding a right to reproductive freedom to the state constitution with nearly 75% of the vote. Seven out of ten states with amendments related to reproductive rights on their ballots added a state constitutional right to abortion.
