Harris won Rhode Island, but not by as much as Biden in 2020

Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a day before she lost the race to Republican former President Donald Trump. Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes went to Trump. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Rhode Island delivered on its solidly Democratic reputation in Tuesday’s presidential race, but not by as strong a margin as recent presidential elections.

Kamala Harris, who earned all four Electoral College votes in the Ocean State, maintained a decisive 13-percentage point lead as of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to preliminary, unofficial results with the Rhode Island Board of Elections. Mail ballots submitted via drop boxes on Election Day, as well as ballots cast by military and overseas voters, had not yet been counted.

 Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris drew most of her support in Tuesday’s presidential election from voters in Rhode Island’s urban and coastal communities, shown in blue, while Republican former President Donald Trump’s edge came from western cities and towns, shown in red. (Decision Desk HQ)
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris drew most of her support in Tuesday’s presidential election from voters in Rhode Island’s urban and coastal communities, shown in blue, while Republican former President Donald Trump’s edge came from western cities and towns, shown in red. (Decision Desk HQ)

Republican Donald Trump — for whom the race was called nationwide early Wednesday — made his best showing in Rhode Island yet, securing more than 42% of ballots cast. Trump failed to crack 40% in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, against respective opponents Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.

The last Republican presidential candidate to receive more than 40% of the votes in Rhode Island was George H. W. Bush in 1988.

Polls ahead of Election Day predicted a wide range of margins for Harris’ victory in Rhode Island. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll released Sept. 18 gave Harris a 20-percentage-point lead over Trump in Rhode Island. However, Harris’ margin shrunk to 14 percentage points in a subsequent UNH poll published on Nov. 3.

Biden beat Trump by nearly 20-percentage points in Rhode Island in 2020. In 2016, Rhode Island voters backed Clinton over Trump by more than 15 percentage points.

On Tuesday, Harris drew most of her support from the state’s urban and coastal communities, while Trump’s edge came from western cities and towns. Trump bested Harris in 13 of Rhode Island’s municipalities, including three which backed Biden in 2020: Woonsocket, West Warwick and Richmond.

Harris’ popularity waned in several Rhode Island cities and towns considered Democratic strongholds. In Central Falls, for example, more than one-third of voters backed Trump this year. In 2020, Trump drew just over 25% of the vote among Central Falls voters.

Harris’ strongest showing was in Providence, where more than 73% of voters backed the Democratic nominee. Trump fared best among Foster voters, with 59.7% of the vote, closely followed by West Greenwich, where he received 59.5% support among voters.

The last time Rhode Island backed a Republican presidential candidate was in 1984 in Ronald Reagan’s reelection.

The Rhode Island Board of Elections expects to finish counting ballots and certify results by Nov. 12.

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