Washington — Former President Trump has captured the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania, CBS News projects, delivering a significant boost to his chances of taking the White House.
With votes still being counted, Trump maintained a lead of just over 2 percentage points as of 2 a.m. ET, with 95% of jurisdictions reporting.
Victory in the Keystone State was critical for both campaigns heading into Election Day, with its 19 electoral votes making it the biggest prize of the battleground states.
Harris and Trump made dozens of appearances in the state in the months leading up to the election, a reflection of the state’s influence on the overall outcome.
His victory in Pennsylvania gives Trump a total of 265 electoral votes so far in states where CBS News has projected a winner, compared to Harris’ 194. A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win the White House.
Trump won the state in 2016 and lost it to President Biden in 2020.