As Decision Desk HQ officially called Nevada for former President Donald Trump, it became one of the pivotal swing states where the GOP made significant inroads. Trump’s victory in Nevada marks a historic win, as no Republican has carried the state since George W. Bush in 2004. Nevada’s six electoral votes, combined with wins in other critical states like Pennsylvania, have propelled Trump to victory in the 2024 election.
In Nevada, early voting seemed to favor Republicans this cycle, giving Trump a modest lead going into Election Day. According to recent reports, the GOP held a four-point lead in ballots counted before Election Day, signaling a potential shift in the state’s voting dynamics.
Polling varied, with RealClearPolitics showing a narrow margin for Trump, but Atlas Intel’s last-minute poll had him leading by six points. Election Day turnout, particularly in Nevada’s rural counties, sealed Trump’s victory, expanding his cushion and delivering a significant blow to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
In Pennsylvania, another high-stakes battleground with 19 electoral votes, Trump similarly outperformed Harris. Pennsylvania has swung back and forth in recent elections: Trump broke the Democrats’ “blue wall” there in 2016 but narrowly lost it to Biden in 2020.
This time around, Trump’s rallies in key districts, including the “even” Cook Political Report district in Allentown, along with grassroots GOP efforts led by activists like Scott Presler, helped secure rural and suburban votes critical to his success. Harris’s focus on Scranton and Philadelphia was not enough to overcome Trump’s momentum in more conservative midstate regions.
The “purple” Rust Belt state once again proved to be a crucial battleground, with Trump’s appeal resonating with rural and working-class voters who felt the effects of inflation and economic challenges.
Republican State Sen. Cris Dush observed that many traditionally Democratic counties in Pennsylvania’s rural heartland had made a notable shift toward the GOP. This trend reflects the ongoing transformation of the Rust Belt, where economic concerns and cultural shifts are driving voters toward the Republican Party.
Throughout the campaign, Trump and his team emphasized economic issues, rallying support around rising inflation, higher gas prices, and a promise to return to economic stability.
In both Nevada and Pennsylvania, Harris’s emphasis on social issues, including abortion rights, failed to resonate as strongly with an electorate facing pressing financial concerns. Nevada’s ballot featured a pro-abortion constitutional amendment, but while it received attention, economic frustrations overshadowed the social message in the minds of many voters.
Looking across the electoral map, Trump’s campaign targeted seven vital swing states: Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Combined, these states held 93 electoral votes, and Trump’s strategy to rally day-of voters and energize rural areas paid off significantly. With Pennsylvania and Nevada called in his favor, the path to the presidency became clear, marking Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
