Former President Donald Trump beat out Vice President Kamala Harris in Iowa, securing his third win in the state since 2016, the Associated Press (AP) projected.
The state was called after 10:30 p.m. with 57 percent of the votes counted, showing Trump leading Harris 56.1 percent to 42.5 percent.
Iowa has heavily supported Trump in all three of his campaigns, voting for him over Hillary Clinton in 2016 by 9.5 points and over Biden in 2020 by 8.2 points. The state had favored Democrats in presidential elections since the late 1980s, besides George W. Bush in 2004. However, the state has not been viewed as competitive since Trump won in 2016.
Trump had strong support in the state among his own party this year, with the former president now owning the record for the largest margin of victory in the history of contested Iowa Republican caucuses, more than doubling the previous mark.
There was some speculation about who would snag a victory in the state after conflicting surveys came out right before the election, conducted by pollsters who are considered credible.
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll showed Harris beating Trump 47 percent to 44 percent but within the survey’s ±3.4 percentage point margin of error. At the same time, an Emerson College poll showed Trump leading Harris by ten points.
Republicans account for 40 percent of all registered voters in the state, while Democrats account for 29 percent, and no-party voters account for 30 percent, according to state data.
Even so, early voter turnout in the state was split evenly among Republicans and Democrats, 39 percent to 39 percent.
Iowa accounts for six electoral votes.
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