(The Center Square) – Just like in 2016 and 2020, former President Donald Trump outperformed the polls in Georgia, and many other swing states.
Going into Election Day with a 0.8% lead in the polling average, Trump ended up beating Vice President Kamala Harris by 2.24% of the vote.
With all precincts reporting, Trump received 50.75% of the vote to Harris’ 48.51%. Two third-party candidates garnered just 0.74%.
This is a major shift from Trump’s 2020 results in the Peach State, when Joe Biden won by just 11,000 votes. This time around, Trump was 117,000 votes clear.
In 2020, Georgia was not called until 16 days after the election, due to legal challenges and a hand recount. No such election drama is expected this year.
“The voters of Georgia have spoken, and we are prepared to defend the election results against any legal challenge,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger posted to social media. “This election was free, fair, and accessible to every eligible Georgian. As always, we will follow the law and the Constitution to protect the will of The People.”
Independent and minority voters likely played a role in the state’s shift towards Trump, according to exit polls conducted by CNN.
Trump had a significant increase in the independent vote, with 54% stating they supported Trump, 43% for Harris. That is a 20% swing in favor of Trump from 2020, when independents were 9% more likely to say they supported Biden.
Black voters in 2024 also were a 1% swing toward Trump, when compared to 2020. Harris also lost 5% of the Latino vote that Biden received.
This, and similar trends nationwide, confirmed growing concerns prior to the election that Harris was underperforming with minority voters.
Add to that high rural turnout in early voting, and Trump’s path to how he won the state becomes more clear.
Republican politicians across the state have applauded Trump’s victory, while Democrats have remained silent.
“Congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump. We look forward to working together to put hardworking Americans first and get our country back on track,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has become known for her alignment with Trump’s “America First” policies, handily won her reelection. She posted on social media that it is now time for the “real work” to begin.
“The ‘Republicans’ that stabbed Trump in the back and tried to destroy him will not ruin it this time,” she said. “The American people are fed up with the chaos and drama from Washington and the low-class divisive media that obviously hates Americans and the country. We celebrate today but must deliver very soon.”
Ballot counting will continue in Georgia, as the votes of military and overseas citizens continue to trickle in. For those to be eligible to be counted, they must be postmarked by Election Day and received by Friday.
By Elyse Apel | The Center Square
Elyse Apel is an apprentice reporter with The Center Square, covering Georgia and North Carolina. She is a 2024 graduate of Hillsdale College.
