Trump wins Nevada in first GOP presidential grab of the swing state since 2004

LAS VEGAS — Former President Donald Trump has won Nevada successful nan 2024 predetermination — thing nary Republican has done successful 20 years.

Trump leads his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris 660,980 votes (51.5%) to 601,118 (46.8%) successful nan battleground state, pinch 84% of votes counted.

Flipping nan Silver State — which gets six electoral votes — from bluish to reddish was nary mini task.

But nan Democratic Party instrumentality turned retired to beryllium nary lucifer for Trump’s “No Tax connected Tips” proposal, which he unveiled astatine a rally present successful June.

It was nan first of respective promised taxation deals that energized Nevada voters — pinch Harris moreover signing onto it.

In nan end, nan governmental mantra of “It’s nan economy, stupid” — coined by Bill Clinton adjutant James Carville successful 1992 — apt played a important domiciled successful nan results.

Pandemic-era shutdowns of Vegas casinos and resorts near tens of thousands unemployed and a bad sensation successful voters’ mouths. 

Even arsenic nan basking spots reopened, workers and their families faced monolithic ostentation owed mostly to Biden-Harris management spending, observers said.

In August, nan Congressional Joint Economic Committee said that an mean family successful Nevada would person to fork complete conscionable nether $1,200 each period to screen inflation’s costs since 2021.

With a organization of 3.2 cardinal — somewhat much than one-third of New York City’s full — nan authorities drew what immoderate would see outsized attraction this year, pinch nominees and their surrogates becoming acquainted sights.

Starting pinch that sweltering June 9 outdoor Trump rally, some candidates often included Sin City connected their itineraries.

Harris stumped successful nan Silver State 10 times complete nan year, including respective appearances earlier President Biden dropped retired of nan race.

Trump and his moving mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, besides prioritized campaigning successful Nevada.

Vance spoke astatine a monolithic July 30 rally astatine a Henderson precocious schoolhouse gymnasium and past returned successful mid-October for a rally pinch supporters.

The ex-prez, whose 64-story Trump International Hotel Las Vegas looms ample complete nan Las Vegas Strip, made aggregate visits — ranging from a ample rally astatine nan Thomas & Mack Center connected nan University of Nevada, Las Vegas, field to a Hispanic business roundtable successful North Las Vegas to a run rally successful Reno.

Surrogates supporting each campaigner stopped disconnected successful Nevada arsenic well.

Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton stumped for Harris, on pinch First Lady Jill Biden, Gwen Walz, woman of VP nominee Gov. Tim Walz; character Elizabeth Banks and a raft of elected Democratic officials.

For Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., erstwhile Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who joined nan GOP this year, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and erstwhile race-car driver Danica Patrick led nan database of Republican-supporting speakers.

Harris’ surrogates hammered Trump complete nan mobility of abortion. A 2022 US Supreme Court ruling returned decisions astir abortion regularisation to each of nan 50 states, starring to bans connected nan process successful immoderate jurisdictions and laws supporting it successful others.

Nevada — which codified a authorities correct to nan process 3 decades agone — had a pro-abortion law amendment connected nan ballot this year, a move critics said was designed successful portion to hammer Republican candidates complete nan issue. 

And hammer nan Democrats did — from nan veep connected down.

Harris and her surrogates perpetually returned to nan “reproductive freedom” message, informing Silver State women that a “Trump abortion ban” was successful nan wings, moreover if voters approved nan law safeguard. Trump and his run denied specified plans.

In turn, Trump’s personage friends emphasized nan amended system and much serene world Americans faced during nan billionaire’s first statesmanlike term, promising a return to prosperity pinch his return to office.

Mesquite, Nevada resident Sue Berkey says that’s why she’s voting to put Trump backmost successful office.

“I deliberation he did a batch nan past clip he was successful there, but soon arsenic he went out, they changed everything, for illustration nan lipid pipeline, and past nan border. So I deliberation he needs to get backmost successful location to do something,” she told The Post.

She besides said she and her husband, some California expats, are doing amended financially because they netted money from trading their Reno location up northbound — but ostentation still takes a toll, peculiarly pinch nutrient prices.

She’s not nan only Mesquite elector who told The Post her family’s not amended disconnected than it was 4 years ago.

Wally Pousy, a retired Washington authorities worker who’s lived successful nan area astir a decade, said he and his woman aren’t doing immoderate amended now. Speaking to The Post while loading groceries from nan section supermarket into their car, they named higher nutrient and gasoline prices nether Biden-Harris arsenic nan culprit.

“We’re voting for Trump,” nan 79-year-old said astatine nan time.

Asked if that was because he believed nan ex-prez would tackle inflation, he replied: “That, and rather a fewer different things.”