The 2024 US election saw Donald Trump secure the presidency with a decisive 312 electoral votes, surpassing Kamala Harris’s 226. This victory, built on winning all seven battleground states, marks a significant shift in the American political landscape when compared to the 2020 election. Republicans also garnered a substantial popular vote lead, exceeding 4 million with 95 percent of ballots tallied. But how do these results specifically stack up against the 2020 election, and which states experienced the most pronounced changes?
2024 Election Results: A Republican Stronghold
In the 2024 election, the Republican party demonstrated widespread dominance, securing a majority in 31 states. Their strongest holds were in Wyoming (72.3 percent), West Virginia (70.1 percent), North Dakota (67.5 percent), Idaho (66.8 percent), and Oklahoma (66.1 percent). Conversely, the Democratic party won 19 states and Washington, D.C., where they achieved a commanding 92.4 percent of the vote. Their next strongest states included Vermont (64.3 percent), Maryland (61.5 percent), Massachusetts (61.2 percent), and Hawaii (60.6 percent). This state-by-state breakdown reveals the geographical concentration of each party’s support across the nation.
Battleground States: Decisive in 2024
The 2024 election heavily hinged on seven key battleground states, often referred to as swing states, due to their unpredictable voting patterns. These states – Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada – collectively hold 93 electoral votes and are crucial for any presidential candidate aiming for the necessary 270 electoral votes to win. In 2024, Donald Trump successfully captured all seven of these battleground states, a pivotal factor in his overall electoral victory. This clean sweep of swing states underscores a significant shift from previous election cycles and highlights the importance of these states in determining national election outcomes.
2020 vs 2024: A Nationwide Shift to the Right
Examining the 2020 election, led by Joe Biden for the Democrats, reveals a different electoral map. In 2020, Biden secured 306 electoral votes and won 25 states plus Washington, D.C., while Donald Trump won 232 electoral votes from the remaining 25 states. However, in 2024, a notable shift occurred. Donald Trump and the Republican party flipped six states from the Democratic column, leading to his victory. This change wasn’t just in state outcomes; it was a broader trend.
Every State Leaned Redder in 2024
Perhaps the most striking comparison between 2020 and 2024 is the Republican party’s increased share of votes across all 50 states. When comparing state-level results, every single state showed a move towards the Republican party in 2024 compared to 2020. For instance, in New York, a traditionally Democratic state, Trump’s vote share increased from 37.74 percent in 2020 to 44.17 percent in 2024. While Biden won New York in 2020 with 60.87 percent, Harris won it in 2024 with a reduced share of 55.83 percent. This 6.43 percent shift in New York represents the most significant state-level change.
Other states also demonstrated considerable movement towards the Republican party, including New Jersey (4.92 percent shift), Florida (4.88 percent), California (4.61 percent), and Massachusetts (4.38 percent). This widespread shift, evident in every state, indicates a strong nationwide trend favoring the Republican party in the 2024 election compared to the 2020 results. The map below visually represents the percentage shift in each state, highlighting the consistent redward trend across the entire country.
Source: Al Jazeera
