Why AP called Wisconsin and the White House for Donald Trump

By ROBERT YOON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press declared that Republican Donald Trump won Wisconsin — and with it, a instrumentality to the White House — erstwhile it determined that remaining uncounted votes mostly from the greater Milwaukee country would not beryllium capable to let Vice President Kamala Harris to overtake Trump.

With astir each of the ballot counted aboriginal Wednesday, the AP declared Trump the victor of Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes astatine 5:34 a.m. ET, capable to propulsion the erstwhile president past the 270-vote threshold needed to retake the presidency.

Winning Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania had been the vice president’s astir straightforward way to victory, but the AP had already declared Trump the victor successful Pennsylvania astatine 2:24 a.m. ET. The victor of Michigan remained undetermined astatine the clip Wisconsin was called.

In the hours starring up to the AP’s contention telephone successful Wisconsin, a sizable magnitude of uncounted ballots remained successful Milwaukee and Racine counties, among others. In bid to win, Harris would person needed to triumph the immense bulk of these uncounted ballots. That was inactive possible, considering that Milwaukee County is 1 of the state’s astir reliable Democratic strongholds. As for Racine, though the region mostly favors Repbulicans, it historically has reported votes adjacent the extremity of its number that heavy favored Democrats.

Subsequent ballot updates from Racine did heavy favour Harris — but not by capable to let her to propulsion past Trump, adjacent erstwhile factoring successful further uncounted Milwaukee County votes that would person benefited the vice president.

The AP lone declares a victor erstwhile it tin find that a trailing campaigner can’t adjacent the spread and overtake the ballot leader.

Here’s a look astatine however the AP called this race:

CANDIDATES:

Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Randall Terry (Constitution) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Claudia De la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation) vs. Cornel West (Justice for All) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (We the People).

POLL CLOSING TIME:

9 p.m. ET

ABOUT THE RACE:

Wisconsin was 1 of the 3 Midwestern “blue wall” states that supported Trump successful 2016 and President Joe Biden successful 2020 and remained a competitory statesmanlike battleground successful 2024. Both Trump and Harris and their moving mates made frequent stops successful Wisconsin, including respective successful the populous Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay areas. The borderline of triumph successful past statesmanlike contests was little than a percent constituent successful the 2020, 2016, 2004 and 2000.

In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton mislaid statewide contempt winning Milwaukee County with 66% of the vote, Dane County, the location of Madison, with 71% and LaCrosse with 52%. Four years later, Joe Biden improved upon Clinton’s performances successful the 3 counties by betwixt 3 and 5 percent points, helping him eke retired a constrictive statewide victory. Trump carried Brown County, the location of Green Bay, successful 2016 and 2020 with astir 52% of the vote, and Biden outperformed Clinton’s showing determination by astir 4 percent points.

For Republican candidates, winning the blimpish “WOW” counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington successful suburban Milwaukee tin assistance offset dense Democratic enactment successful Milwaukee and Dane counties.

WHY AP CALLED THE RACE:

In summation to Racine, Trump was besides comfortably up successful the different southeastern counties that signifier the state’s astir coagulated Republican stronghold. This portion includes the alleged “WOW” counties but does not see Milwaukee County itself. Trump besides had a ample pb successful northeastern Wisconsin, including successful Brown County, location to Green Bay. He besides established decisive leads successful the Republican-voting counties surrounding Brown.

Harris was trailing Biden’s 2020 show crossed the committee successful each geographic region. She was besides trailing Biden crossed the state’s governmental spectrum, from areas that voted the astir heavy for Trump successful 2020 to those that voted astir heavy for Biden.

Learn much astir however and wherefore the AP declares winners successful U.S. elections astatine Explaining Election 2024, a bid from The Associated Press aimed astatine helping marque consciousness of the American democracy. The AP receives enactment from respective backstage foundations to heighten its explanatory sum of elections and democracy. See much astir AP’s ideology inaugural here. The AP is solely liable for each content.