What happened on Nov. 5: A deep dive into the results of the presidential and congressional races

On November 5, Americans elected Donald Trump as president. It was an unusual election that featured a former president and Vice President Harris whose campaign began in July after President Biden dropped out of the race. While the results from all of the down-ballot races may not be in, many have questions. Why did the electorate shift to the right across the country? How did state ballot initiatives impact election results? Did traditional voting blocks vote as expected?

On November 12, Governance Studies at Brookings held a webinar that examined the results of the 2024 election for the presidency and Congress. Election experts analyzed state-by-state outcomes, voter turnout trends, election administration, and the implications of the 119th congressional election results on future public policy implementation. 

Viewers submited questions for speakers by emailing [email protected] or via Twitter at @BrookingsGov by using #ElectionResults.