NEW DELHI: With a pivotal win in Arizona, Donald Trump has made major progress in the 2024 U.S. presidential contest. As Trump battles for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, the state, which has a controversial electoral past, has given him a much-needed boost. Trump is ahead of Kamala Harris by a slim but favourable margin of 50.4% to 48.8%, with more than half of the vote already counted.
Arizona, which has alternated between Republican and Democratic rule in recent years, has traditionally been a battleground state. Given that the state was a crucial swing state in the 2020 election when Joe Biden narrowly prevailed, Trump’s victory there is particularly noteworthy. Trump’s sustained lead in Arizona is indicative of a changing political climate and rising support from important groups, especially in suburban and rural areas.
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According to recent reports, counties like Yuma and Pinal, where the Republican candidate has a significant lead, are seeing an increase in Trump’s lead. However, the gap has been smaller in metropolitan areas such as Maricopa County, which is home to Phoenix, with Harris leading by a slight percentage in the preliminary results. Nonetheless, it appears that Trump’s overall performance in the state’s more conservative rural areas is sufficient to keep him ahead.
Trump needs the state’s 11 electoral votes, and this win positions him well as he attempts to seize other vital battlegrounds like Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Full vote totals are anticipated to come in over the following few days, especially from absentee and mail-in ballots, so Arizona’s results will be widely observed in the days ahead.
Trump’s chances of winning appear to be growing if he can maintain his advantage in Arizona and maintain his momentum in other swing states.