Biden Wins Republican Stronghold 'Arizona'... 'Trump's Comeback Virtually Impossible'

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Joe Biden, the President-elect of the United States, has also won in Arizona, according to reports by The New York Times (NYT) and CNN on the 13th (local time). Biden secured 290 electoral votes, far exceeding the 270 needed to win the presidential election, by winning even in the Republican stronghold of Arizona.

US media including NYT judged that Biden defeated President Donald Trump in Arizona by 0.3% (about 11,000 votes) on the day. Earlier, on the 3rd, AP News and Fox News had declared Biden the winner, but NYT and CNN had withheld judgment, citing the possibility that Trump could overturn the results based on absentee ballot counts. With Biden’s lead confirmed in absentee ballots as well, NYT and CNN concluded that Biden won in Arizona.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

원본보기 아이콘

Biden had already declared victory after winning Pennsylvania. With his subsequent win in Arizona, he has solidified his position against President Trump’s legal challenges. If Biden also wins in Georgia, where he is known to have an advantage (16 electoral votes), he is expected to secure 306 electoral votes.

On the other hand, President Trump has lost both Pennsylvania and Arizona, which are crucial for his victory. Although he is considering ways to overturn the results through lawsuits, even if some regional results change through court rulings, the large margin in electoral votes makes it difficult to overturn Biden’s overall victory.

NYT noted that this is the first time since President Bill Clinton’s victory in 1996 that the Democratic Party has secured electoral votes in Arizona. Biden’s win in Arizona, a state with strong Republican support, is attributed to factors such as an increase in progressive-leaning young voters.

As of now, vote counting in North Carolina and Georgia has not been completed. In Georgia, where the margin between Biden and Trump is only 0.3 percentage points, a manual recount will be conducted by the 20th. In North Carolina, absentee ballots will be accepted until the 12th, so the election results are expected to be announced afterward.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.