The 2024 presidential election has come to a wrap and many are reflecting on the results. The results meant joy for those who supported Trump and solemn for those rooting for Harris and the Democratic party. Not only did Trump win the presidency, but the Republicans swept the Senate and the House of Representatives, according to an ABC news article from Nov. 13. This came as a surprise to many because the majority of trusted political polls had Kamala Harris winning the presidency. Many thought it was going to be a toss-up. However, in reality, Trump won the election by a significant amount. Trump received 312 electoral votes, while Harris received 226 electoral votes. Trump broke the so-called “blue wall,” by winning Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In addition to these states, he also managed to win over all of the other “swing” and battleground states.
Surprisingly, New Jersey voted more Republican in the 2024 election than in previous election years. The margin between Harris and Trump compared to the margin between Biden and Trump in 2020 decreased significantly, according to NBC and CNN articles last updated on Nov. 13, 2024, and Mar. 11, 2024. Trump gained a lot of ground in Hispanic and African American neighborhoods in New Jersey and throughout the country. Counties such as Passaic County, which has a significant Hispanic and African American population, specifically in Patterson, went Republican. In addition, Morris County and Cumberland County went red after going blue in 2020, according to New Jersey election results.
Trump has started to select members for his presidential cabinet, though some of these positions will require Senate confirmation. Some of the major nominations that Trump selected for his cabinet are Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, Marco Rubio as the Secretary of State, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Health Secretary, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as leading the Department of Government Efficiency and Susie Wiles as the Chief of Staff, according to a USA News article Nov. 13.
It is clear that the Republicans will have significant control over legislation in the next two years. Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to recover from their defeat in time for the midterm elections. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on America.
Photo credit: “Capitol Hill, Washington DC” by KP Tripath is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
