Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.
Trump won the key battleground states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina and by 5 a.m. led the popular vote on his way back to the White House.
In other key races, incumbent Senator Ted Cruz cruised his way to reelection, defeating Democratic challenger Colin Allred, a Congressman from Dallas. Cruz gained 53.4% of the vote to Allred’s 44.3%, while Libertarian candidate Ted Brown received 2.3% of the vote.
Republicans also took control of the Senate, flipping Democrat-held seats in West Virginia and Ohio.
Dallas voters also appeared to approve a slate of charter amendments, including the controversial Propositions S and U.
2:50 p.m. Trump could look to Texas to fill Cabinet
As Donald Trump assembles a leadership team for his second term in the White House, solidly Republican Texas could provide fertile ground for Cabinet member picks. Trump has signaled his interest in a few Texans and drawn several others close during the campaign. The Dallas Morning News’ Karen Brooks Harper explores some of the likely contenders for positions in a Trump administration.
12:50 p.m. Trump’s reelection likely to halt criminal cases
Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory on Wednesday will essentially end the criminal cases brought against him, at least for the four years he occupies the White House. The first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, Trump for much of this year faced four simultaneous prosecutions, over allegations ranging from his attempt to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign to his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. A New York jury in May found him guilty of falsifying business records tied to the Daniels payment, making him the first former U.S. president convicted of a felony.
Trump, a Republican, told an interviewer on Oct. 24 that he would fire U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith — who led the federal prosecutions over his attempts to overturn his election defeat and retention of classified documents after leaving office — “within two seconds” of being sworn in. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and cast the prosecutions as politically motivated.
While Trump as president will have the authority to fire Smith and shut down the federal cases against him, he will not have the same control over the New York hush money case or Georgia’s prosecution of him for trying to overturn his 2020 loss in that state. But his unique role as president makes it unlikely he will face legal consequences in either case during his term in office.
- The Associated Press
12 p.m. Harris concession speech this afternoon
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a concession speech at 3 p.m. Wednesday, her office announced. Harris will speak at Howard University, her alma mater in Washington, where her supporters watched returns Tuesday night before being sent home after midnight as President-elect Donald Trump pulled ahead in battleground state results. Read more here.
11:05 a.m. North Texas voters share thoughts on Trump’s win
The news of Donald Trump winning the presidential election prompted mixed emotions Wednesday morning for North Texas voters, who expressed excitement, devastation and uncertainty. Reporters Maggie Prosser, Jamie Landers and Lana Ferguson have more on how voters are feeling after the election.
10:25 a.m. Bitcoin surges after Trump victory
The price of bitcoin hit a new high Wednesday and crypto-related shares rallied as investors bet that former President Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election will be a boon for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin jumped nearly 8% in early trading, climbing above $75,000 and smashing its previous record set in March. Other cryptocurrencies also soared, including ether, the world’s second most popular cryptocurrency after bitcoin, which rallied 8%. Another token, dogecoin, rocketed as much as 18%. It’s the favorite cryptocurrency of billionaire Elon Musk, one of Trump’s most prominent supporters.
- The Associated Press
9:40 a.m. Heated charter election fails in McKinney
In a controversial city charter election, McKinney voters decided against allowing city council members to run for a third term and getting a pay raise. The decision means Mayor George Fuller will not be eligible to run for a third term in May. Proposition A would have increased the mayor and council term limits from two to three consecutive four-year terms beginning with the 2025 council election. Reporter Lilly Kersh has more on the failed proposition.
9:10 a.m. Texas leaders respond to Trump’s victory
Messages of congratulations to former President Donald Trump poured in from political leaders and other prominent figures across Texas and beyond.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement around 12:30 a.m. congratulating Trump and his running mate JD Vance on their “decisive victory” in the presidential election. Mark Cuban posted to X at about 12:20 a.m., congratulating Trump and Elon Musk, one of Trump’s biggest donors this election cycle. “You won fair and square,” Cuban said.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Dallas mayor Eric Johnson, a former Democrat who switched parties and became a Republican last year, offered their congratulations via X. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, posted to X just before 2 a.m. congratulating Trump on what he called “history’s greatest comeback.”
- Matt Kyle and Karen Brooks Harper
8:30 a.m. What will S, T and U mean for Dallas?
Dallas voters passed two contentious propositions, known as S and U. Proposition S will allow anyone to file lawsuits against the city, even if they have no stake in the grievance. Proposition U mandates the city increase the police force by 900 and maintain a minimum of 4,000 officers. They voted down Proposition T, which would have required Dallas to conduct an annual survey of at least 1,400 residents, rating the city manager’s performance, with the results ranging from a financial bonus to termination.
The Dallas Morning News’ columnist Sharon Grigsby delves into what the propositions will mean for Dallas. Grigsby says “too many Dallas voters fell for the fear-mongering flag of ‘safety and accountability’ and were swept away by a handful of buzzwords.”
8 a.m. Abortion rights advocates win in 7 states, lose in 3
Voters in Missouri cleared the way to undo one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans in one of seven victories for abortion rights advocates, while Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving bans in place. Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they’ll need to pass it again it 2026 for it to take effect. Another that bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes” prevailed in New York.
Will voters in Texas, home to one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans, be given the same opportunity? Not likely. Most of these votes have been the result of citizen-led petitions that gathered signatures and forced states — even some controlled by abortion foes — to send the issue to voters via direct ballot measures. Texas does not allow any form of voter-led ballot measures.
- Staff and wire reports
7:20 a.m. Senate wins raise stakes for Cornyn
Republican wins in the U.S. Senate have risen the stakes for U.S. Sen John Cornyn’s bid to become leader of the chamber’s party leader. U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida and Deb Fischer of Nebraska withstood longshot challenges to win reelection Tuesday night in states where Republicans were on defense. Republicans flipped seats in Ohio and West Virginia, The Associated Press reported, ensuring the GOP will enter the next Congress with at least a 51-49 Senate majority as other battleground states remained too close to call.
Cornyn is running against Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and Scott, the Florida senator, to succeed Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as Senate GOP leader. McConnell, the longest serving Senate party leader in American history, announced he would step down from leadership after facing questions about his health. Senate Republicans are expected to hold their leadership elections by secret ballot next week.
- Nolan D. McCaskill
6:50 a.m. Expect emboldened Republicans in Texas
Republican candidates won every statewide race on Tuesday’s ballot and maintained a tight grip on both houses of the Legislature. Former President Donald Trump beating Vice President Kamala Harris in the Lone Star presidential contest, and U.S. Sen Ted Cruz held off Dallas Democrat Colin Allred to win a third term.
These victories will likely embolden Republican lawmakers to continue to pass conservative legislation in the 2025 legislative session, including controversial measures involving private school vouchers and stricter limits on abortion, The Dallas Morning News’ Gromer Jeffers Jr. reports.
6:15 a.m. Voter turnout grows in Collin County, dips in Dallas County
Voter turnout grew in Collin County by nearly 5% this year compared to the 2020 election, with roughly 25,000 additional voters. But fewer voters in Dallas County cast ballots this year compared to the last presidential election, with turnout dipping about 9%. Statewide, 18.6 million voters registered, and about 9 million cast early votes.
- Devyani Chhetri
5:25 a.m. Markets surge following projections of a Trump win
Share prices, bond yields and bitcoin surged Wednesday as the Republican party gained control of the Senate and former President Donald Trump closed in on the 270 electoral votes needed to return him to the White House.
The expectation is that a victory by Trump will lead to faster economic growth and more market-friendly policies.
Ahead of U.S. markets opening Wednesday, the future for the S&P 500 gained 1.23% and the future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.02%. The Nasdaq composite future was 1.43% higher.
The price of bitcoin jumped nearly 8% to a record $75,345.00, as investors bet on a victory for Trump, who has pledged support for cryptocurrencies. It later fell back to $74,520.00.
Bond yields also surged, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury climbing to 4.4% from 4.28% on Tuesday.
In early European trading, Germany’s DAX climbed 1.3% to 19,503.40, while the CAC 40 in Paris advanced 1.9% to 7,550.36. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 1.4% at 8,285.06.
- The Associated Press
5 a.m. Trump wins the White House in political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters
Donald Trump was elected as the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday.
He is the first person convicted of a felony to win the White House and the first former president to regain power since 1892. The victory marks an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, faced dozens of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
He will be joined in the new administration by his vice president, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. At 40, Vance will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in government.
- The Associated Press
5 a.m. Control of the US House is still up for grabs
Republicans have taken the White House and Senate, but the House is still very much in play.
With nearly 60 House elections still undecided, either party could gain control of the chamber. For Democrats, a House majority is the last hope of gaining a toehold in Washington and putting a check on Donald Trump’s power.
Yet if Republicans win a House majority, they’ll be able to implement Trump’s agenda with more ease, including extending tax cuts, funding hardline border measures and dismantling parts of the federal government.
Still, it might take some time before House control is decided. Neither party so far has a convincing advantage in the tally of key House races. There are tight races all over the country, including many in slow-counting California.
- The Associated Press
5 a.m. Trump takes presidency after win in Wisconsin
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
As president, he’s vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and pursuing retribution against his perceived enemies. Speaking to his supporters Wednesday morning, Trump claimed he had won “an unprecedented and powerful mandate.”The results cap a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention.
Trump will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on Jan. 20, including heightened political polarization and global crises that are testing America’s influence abroad. His win against Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket, marks the second time he has defeated a female rival in a general election.
Harris, the current vice president, rose to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden exited the race amid alarm about his advanced age. Despite an initial surge of energy around her campaign, she struggled during a compressed timeline to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an unpopular administration.
- The Associated Press
5 a.m. Trump leads popular vote
Trump led the popular vote with 70.8 million votes to Harris’ 65.9 million, according to the Associated Press’ numbers at about 5 a.m.
If he holds, the popular vote victory will be a first for Trump, who lost the popular vote in both 2016 and 2020. In 2016, Trump garnered 62.9 million votes to Hillary Clinton’s 65.8 million, while in 2020 Trump got 74.2 million votes to Joe Biden’s 81.2 million.
- Matt Kyle
5 a.m. Trump’s return to power after 2020 defeat
Trump’s return to the White House seemed unlikely when he left Washington in early 2021 as a diminished figure whose lies about his defeat sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He was so isolated at the time that few outside of his family bothered to attend the send-off he organized for himself at Andrews Air Force Base, complete with a 21-gun salute.
Democrats who controlled the U.S. House quickly impeached him for his role in the insurrection, making him the only president to be impeached twice. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate, where many Republicans argued that he no longer posed a threat because he had left office.
But from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump – aided by some elected Republicans – worked to maintain his political relevance. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican who at the time led his party in the U.S. House, visited Trump soon after he left office, essentially validating his continued role in the party.
As the 2022 midterm election approached, Trump used the power of his endorsement to assert himself as the unquestioned leader of the party. His preferred candidates almost always won their primaries, but some went on to defeat in elections that Republicans viewed as within their grasp. Those disappointing results were driven in part by a backlash to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that revoked a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, a decision that was aided by Trump-appointed justices. The midterm election prompted questions within the GOP about whether Trump should remain the party’s leader.
But if Trump’s future was in doubt, that changed in 2023 when he faced a wave of state and federal indictments for his role in the insurrection, his handling of classified information and election interference. He used the charges to portray himself as the victim of an overreaching government, an argument that resonated with a GOP base that was increasingly skeptical – if not outright hostile – to institutions and established power structures.
- The Associated Press
5 a.m. Trump’s legal troubles
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who challenged Trump for the Republican nomination, lamented that the indictments “sucked out all the oxygen” from this year’s GOP primary. Trump easily captured his party’s nomination without ever participating in a debate against DeSantis or other GOP candidates.
With Trump dominating the Republican contest, a New York jury found him guilty in May of 34 felony charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. He faces sentencing later this month, though his victory poses serious questions about whether he will ever face punishment.
He has also been found liable in two other New York civil cases: one for inflating his assets and another for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.
Trump is subject to additional criminal charges in an election-interference case in Georgia that has become bogged down. On the federal level, he’s been indicted for his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and improperly handling classified material.
- The Associated Press
