Harris, Will 'Blue Wall' Also Be Taken... Trump Leads in 85% of Pennsylvania Vote Count

[US Election 2024]

In Pennsylvania, the biggest battleground state in the U.S. presidential election, a significant portion of the votes have been counted, with former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, leading Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate. For Vice President Harris, this follows losing North Carolina, the first major battleground state she lost, and now she faces the risk of losing the crucial Midwestern 'Blue Wall' in this election.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to AP News and others, as of 2:10 PM KST on the 6th, with 85% of votes counted in Pennsylvania, former President Trump holds 50.9% while Vice President Harris has 48.1%. Right after counting began that morning, Harris had a lead of around 60%, but the tide turned around noon. Pennsylvania has the largest number of electors among battleground states, with 19 electoral votes at stake.

In the early stages of counting, the race between the two candidates in the battleground states was tight, but as counting progressed, the advantage has gradually shifted toward former President Trump. Among the seven battleground states, North Carolina was the first to confirm its outcome that day. AP News reported that with 89% of votes counted in North Carolina, Trump received 50.8%, securing a victory over Vice President Harris. As a result, Trump will take the 16 electoral votes from North Carolina out of the 93 electoral votes in battleground states.

Moreover, even the Blue Wall Rust Belt, which was previously a Democratic stronghold, appears to be turning red (Republican). Along with Pennsylvania, Michigan, also part of the Blue Wall, shows Trump leading with 52.3% at 49% vote count, overturning the early lead held by Vice President Harris. Another Blue Wall state, Wisconsin, where voting closed at 11 AM KST, also shows Trump leading with 51.2% at 78% vote count.

For Vice President Harris, this means losing the early momentum in the Blue Wall. AP News explained that the reversal in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania was largely due to the early counting reflecting a significant portion of mail-in ballots preferred by Democratic voters in this election. To win this election, Vice President Harris must hold onto the three Midwestern Blue Wall Rust Belt states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Especially important is winning Pennsylvania, which has the largest number of 19 electoral votes among battleground states.

The New York Times (NYT) assessed the probability of former President Trump winning Pennsylvania at 71%, considering the results so far and the number of uncounted votes. Although two polling stations in Westchester, Pennsylvania, received bomb threats causing extended voting hours, it is expected to have little impact on the overall results.

So far, Vice President Harris and former President Trump have secured 210 and 230 electoral votes respectively. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of the 538 electoral votes allocated to each state, meaning at least 270 votes.