Donald Trump, the newly elected president of the United States, has surpassed Vice President Kamala Harris of Nevada in the presidential race, NBC News projects.
Trump lost six of the state’s votes in both previous races for the White House. But those losses to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden were both less than 2.5 percentage points, and Trump and the Republican Party have since made significant inroads with Latino voters and other key voting blocs in the state.
Although Nevada won a Republican governor in 2022 — Trump-endorsed Joe Lombardo — Democrats managed to hang on in other close races up and down the polls, a recurring theme in recent years. But Trump’s victory is a boost for the GOP in a state that Democrats have dominated lately. Republicans have not won a presidential election there since 2004.
Trump made frequent campaign stops in Las Vegas, repeatedly touting his promise of “no tax on tips,” in a state where a significant number of residents work for high wages in the entertainment and hospitality industries. Trump announced the proposal at a Las Vegas campaign rally in June.
Harris has backed it, and has touted his support on trips to the state, including in August when he announced the support of the powerful Culinary Union. Harris made several trips to Las Vegas over the summer after becoming the Democratic nominee.
Trump won Nevada after six Republican “fake voters.” was charged last year Four years ago, they were charged with forgery for submitting to Congress fake certificates declaring Trump the state’s winner. A A Nevada judge dismissed the case in June 2024decision that it was made in the wrong place. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, appealed the decision in July.
Nevada relies heavily on mail-in voting, which Trump and his Republican allies have opposed in the 2020 election and since. But the party has made a greater effort this year to encourage voters to use mail-in ballots, urging Trump supporters to vote any way they want.