Honestly, if you looked at the polls a week before November 5th, you probably expected a nail-biter that would keep us awake until the following Tuesday. But the state by state election results 2024 didn't really play out like a slow-burn thriller. It was more of a sudden shift. By the time the dust settled and Congress certified the results on January 6, 2025, the map looked significantly different than it did four years ago. Donald Trump didn't just win; he cleared 312 electoral votes, leaving Kamala Harris with 226.
You’ve likely heard about the "Blue Wall" crumbling, but the story isn't just about three states in the Midwest. It’s about a massive movement across the entire country. Every single state—literally all 50 of them—showed some level of swing toward the Republican ticket compared to 2020. That’s a stat that feels almost impossible in such a polarized era, yet there it is in the certified data.
Breaking Down the State by State Election Results 2024
When you dig into the actual numbers, the "seven-state sweep" is the headline. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and North Carolina all landed in Trump's column. Some were closer than others. In Wisconsin, the margin was a "squeaker" at less than one percentage point. Meanwhile, in Arizona, the lead was a more comfortable 5.2%.
What’s wild is how the "safe" states behaved. Look at New York or New Jersey. Nobody thought they’d flip, and they didn't. But Harris’s margin in New Jersey was only about 6 points. For a state that Joe Biden won by 16 points in 2020, that’s a massive earthquake in voter sentiment. In New York, the margin dropped to about 13 points. If you’re a strategist, those numbers are terrifying or exhilarating, depending on which hat you're wearing.
The Swing State Story
Let's get specific. Pennsylvania was the big prize with its 19 electoral votes. Trump took it by about 2%, a margin of roughly 130,000 votes. It wasn't just rural areas turning out; it was the shift in places like Philadelphia and its suburbs where the Democratic margins just weren't high enough to offset the rest of the state.
In the South, Georgia and North Carolina proved they aren't just "leaning" red—they're becoming incredibly competitive battlegrounds that the GOP managed to lock down this time. Georgia flipped back to the GOP by about 2 points after its historic blue turn in 2020. North Carolina, which always seems to tease Democrats, stayed red with a 3-point margin.
The West and the Latino Vote
Nevada was perhaps the biggest surprise for long-time pundits. It hadn't gone for a Republican since 2004. Trump won it by 3 points. Why? Basically, the Latino vote. According to Pew Research data from June 2025, Trump drew nearly even with Harris among Hispanic voters nationwide, losing the group by only 3 points. In states like Nevada and Arizona, that shift was the ballgame.
The Popular Vote and Turnout Reality
For the first time since 2004, a Republican won the popular vote. Trump pulled in about 77.3 million votes (49.8%) to Harris’s 75 million (48.3%). But here’s the kicker that most people miss: it wasn't just about people changing their minds. It was about who bothered to show up.
Harris received about 6 million fewer votes than Joe Biden did in 2020.
That’s a staggering drop.
In California alone, turnout dropped by roughly 10%. In Los Angeles County, it was a 14% dive. When people stay home in deep blue strongholds, the national map starts looking very red very quickly. Republican-leaning voters were simply more motivated to get to the ballot box.
A Quick Look at the Margins
If you want to know where the parties are truly "at home," you look at the blowouts.
Deep Red Strongholds:
- Wyoming: Trump +46
- West Virginia: Trump +42
- Oklahoma: Trump +34
Deep Blue Strongholds:
- DC: Harris +84
- Vermont: Harris +32
- Maryland: Harris +29
It’s interesting to note that while California is the "capital" of blue America, Trump actually improved his performance there, losing by 20 points—a significant jump from his 29-point loss in 2020.
Beyond the Presidency: State Power
The state by state election results 2024 also reshaped local power. Republicans didn't just take the White House; they secured a 53-47 majority in the Senate. They flipped seats in places you’d expect, like West Virginia, but also knocked off long-term incumbents in Montana (Jon Tester), Ohio (Sherrod Brown), and Pennsylvania (Bob Casey).
On the flip side, Democrats held their ground in some governors' races and managed to win a few key House seats in New York and California, even as the top of the ticket struggled. It shows that voters are perfectly capable of "split-ticket" voting—picking a Republican for President but a Democrat for their local representative.
Why the Map Shifted
The "why" is always messy. Economics topped every exit poll. People were frustrated with the cost of living, and they blamed the incumbent administration. But it was also a coalition shift.
Young voters (under 29) still backed Harris, but only by about 6 points. Compare that to Biden’s 25-point lead with that same group in 2020. That is a generational shift that could affect the next decade of politics. Black voters, especially men, also moved toward Trump in record numbers. He nearly doubled his support among Black voters from 8% in 2020 to about 15% in 2024.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you're trying to make sense of where we go from here, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the "Safe" States: The narrowing margins in New Jersey and Virginia suggest the 2028 map might be even larger than the 2024 one. Neither party can afford to take "solid" states for granted.
- Demographics are not Destiny: The idea that a growing minority population automatically helps Democrats was thoroughly debunked in 2024. Both parties will now be fighting tooth and nail for the Hispanic and Black male vote.
- Turnout is King: The 2024 election was won in the months leading up to November by the ground teams who ensured their voters actually mailed in that ballot or showed up on Tuesday.
- Follow Certified Data: Always rely on official sources like the National Archives or your specific Secretary of State’s office for final tallies, especially as "unofficial" counts circulate on social media for weeks after an election.
The 2024 results weren't just a win for one person; they were a massive realignment of the American electorate. Whether this is a permanent shift or a one-time reaction to post-pandemic inflation is the question that will define the next four years of political strategy.
For now, the map is settled. 312 to 226.
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Next Steps for You: To see how these results impact your local area specifically, you can visit your state's Secretary of State website to view county-level data. You might also want to look into the 2024 Census Bureau Voting and Registration report for a deeper dive into the specific age and education demographics of your region.