Kamala Harris appears set to lose her bid to become the first female president of the United States, as Donald Trump is projected to claim victory in several key battleground states, bringing him close to a historic political comeback.
With CBS projections indicating Trump has taken Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, Harris’s campaign has cancelled her expected appearance at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, D.C. Trump is also predicted to win Wisconsin and Michigan, leaving Harris’s path to the presidency increasingly narrow.
“We had hoped for a different outcome, but it’s looking pretty grim right now,” remarked Lindy Li, a Democratic fundraiser, from Harris’s campaign headquarters.
Harris, 60, only became the Democratic nominee in July following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal under party pressure. Had she won, she would have become the first woman, Black woman, and South Asian American president in U.S. history.
Exit polls suggest Harris may have struggled to galvanize key demographics as Biden did in 2020. CBS data reveals she captured 54% of the female vote compared to Biden’s 57%, with indications of a slightly lower turnout among Black and Latino voters for Harris.
Meanwhile, early results have fueled momentum for Republicans nationwide. CBS projects Republicans will gain control of the Senate, flipping seats in West Virginia and Ohio, and retaining a stronghold in Texas. Control of the House remains close, but Republicans are on course to hold or expand their narrow majority.
In response to a politically charged election cycle, authorities have heightened security amid reports of hoax bomb threats at election sites across the nation, with the majority targeting locations in Georgia. Both Democrats and Republicans are poised for legal battles, with teams of lawyers on standby for potential challenges in the days to come.
