Historic Win: Donald Trump Becomes First Republican To Win Popular Vote In Two Decades

Washington: Amidst a sweeping victory for Donald Trump in the 2024 US Presidential elections, another historic moment came across for the Republican Party, as Trump is set to become the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote in the presidential election. With the declaration of the election results, Trump’s victory marked a significant milestone for the Grand Old Party (GOP) in terms of winning the popular vote. The last Republican to secure the popular vote was President George W Bush, about two decades ago, in 2004.

President-elect Donald Trump’s road to reclaiming the White House became clear as he managed to clinch critical swing states that were pivotal to his 2024 win. Among the most notable states were North Carolina and Georgia, where he regained support and flipped results that had leaned toward Democrats in the previous election cycle.

His victory in these swing states, alongside solid backing in other key battlegrounds, helped propel him past the necessary threshold for the popular vote and secured his return to the presidency.

Historical Context Of The Popular Vote

After winning the popular vote, this fresh achievement places Donald Trump alongside George W. Bush, who in 2004 won the popular vote with 62,040,610 votes (50.7% of the total) and 286 electoral votes, defeating Democratic challenger John Kerry, who garnered 59,028,444 votes (48.3%) and 251 electoral votes.

However, it has been a long 20 years since the Republican Party could claim a popular vote victory, a period marked by Democratic dominance in both the popular and electoral votes in multiple elections.

Barack Obama Achieved Largest Popular Vote Win

In 2008, President Barack Obama achieved the largest popular vote victory in recent history, winning 69.5 million votes (52.9%) and 365 electoral votes. His re-election bid in 2012 saw a slight decline in his popular vote percentage (51.1%), but he still secured 332 electoral votes.

Donald Trump’s Performance In 2016

In 2016, Trump won the presidency despite losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, who secured nearly 3 million more votes than him. Notably, Donald Trump garnered 46.1% of the popular vote but triumphed in the Electoral College with 304 votes. Clinton, with 48.2% of the popular vote, secured only 227 electoral votes.

In the 2020 election, Trump faced a challenging race against Democrat Joe Biden , who won a commanding 51.3% of the popular vote and 306 electoral votes, while Trump received 74.2 million votes (46.8%) and 232 electoral votes. Biden’s victory was one of the largest popular vote margins in recent history, cementing his place as the 46th President of the United States.

Trump’s Popular Vote Victory Marks New Era For Republicans

Donald Trump’s 2024 victory in both the popular and electoral votes signals a major shift for the Republican Party, which has faced challenges in winning the popular vote in recent decades.

Post victory, experts pointed to his ability to unite the party base while also attracting swing voters in critical states as key factors in his popular vote victory. His focus on issues such as economic recovery, immigration reform, and national security resonated with voters across various demographics, helping him secure the support needed to make history.

With Trump set to take office once again, the Republican Party entered a new chapter.