#USAElections2020: Trump, Biden register first wins; eyes on Florida
What's the story
US President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden scored wins, just as polls closed across the East Coast and other parts. As per the tally by Associated Press, the incumbent Republican has won 92 electoral votes while Biden won 122. The attention has now turned to the key battleground states. Here are more details.
Details
Florida headed for a nail-biting finish
Key battleground state Florida (29), historically a swing state, kept observers on their toes. At the time of publishing, Trump and Biden were tied at 49%, and nearly 81% of the estimated votes had been recorded. Other states which will decide the winner are Georgia (16), North Carolina (15), Ohio (18), Michigan (16), Pennsylvania (20), and Texas (38).
Texas
Biden takes a small lead in Texas
Texas, with its 38 electoral votes, is another state which is crucial for both the campaigns. The Democrats said for months that Texas, a traditionally GOP bastion, would vote differently this time. As per the latest reports, Biden has a small lead against Trump in Texas — 49.6% v/s 49.1%. If Democrats hand an upset to Trump, it would be historic.
Other states
Trump wins Indiana, the home state of Mike Pence
The news agency also said that Trump has won Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, while his challenger added Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island to his kitty. Trump won Indiana (11 votes), the home state of Vice-President Mike Pence. The Republican nominee also got Arkansas, which has six electoral votes. The state hasn't picked a Democratic presidential candidate since 1996.
Do you know?
District of Columbia goes to Biden
Biden won the District of Columbia, getting all its three electoral votes. It wasn't surprising as voters have always chosen blue. In 2016, the then-Democratic Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, defeated Trump there, by the widest margin ever.
Statement
We are looking really good: Trump
A short while ago, Trump, who addressed nearly 20 rallies in last days leading up to election, tweeted (in all caps), "WE ARE LOOKING REALLY GOOD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU!" Separately, while speaking to Fox News, he said, "We think we are winning Texas very big. We think we are winning Florida very big. We think we are winning Arizona very big."
Ohio
Trump leading in Ohio, Biden wins Virginia
Trump has taken the lead in Ohio — 52% v/s 46.6%. The state, with its 18 votes, has always picked the winner since 1948, except in 1960 when Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy were contesting. Ohio voted for Nixon but eventually Kennedy won. In 2016, Ohio picked Trump over Clinton. In Virginia, Biden won, as per AP. Virginia has 13 electoral votes.
Latinos
More and more Latinos supported Trump, show exit polls
While Trump has been labeled as "racist" and someone who won't work for the minorities by his critics, the data from the big day shows otherwise. As per CNN International, more Latinos have voted for Trump. He got two out of the five votes in the community in Florida, which is an increase of 35% from the 2016 presidential elections.