Donald Trump prevails over Vice President Kamala Harris,
who was seeking to become the first woman and
Asian American president of the U.S.
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Nov. 7, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency. He won Michigan on Nov. 7, sweeping the “blue wall” along with Pennsylvania — the one-time Democrat-leaning swing states that all went for Trump in 2016 before flipping to President Joe Biden in 2020.
His Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, who was seeking to become the first woman and Asian American president, called Trump on Nov. 7 to concede the race and congratulate him. A short time later, Biden also called Trump to congratulate him and invite the president-elect to the White House, formally kicking off the transition ahead of Inauguration Day, the White House said. Biden also called Harris.
Republicans also have won enough seats to control the House of Representatives, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on both chambers of Congress and the White House. Republicans gained control of the Senate last week.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, 42, was elected Nov. 6 to the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw for the seat that opened when Bob Menendez resigned this year after his federal conviction on bribery charges.
Kim, a three-term congressman from central New Jersey, becomes the first Korean American in the Senate. In a recent interview, he said that accomplishment would validate his parents’ decision 50 years ago to immigrate to the U.S.
Kim is a former Obama administration national security aide, a Rhodes Scholar and has a P.h.D. from Oxford. He’s presented himself as an unassuming, hard-working official and gained national attention in 2021 when he was spotted cleaning up the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 insurrection, bagging trash.
“It pains me to my core to see the struggle we are going through,” Kim told supporters in a hotel ballroom following his victory. “The very foundation of our democracy is rendered fragile. We are at a moment of profound anxiety about what comes next for our country.”
Other notable AAPI election victories as of press time:
- Democrat Mazie Hirono of Hawaii has won re-election in the Senate; a Japanese American, she has held her seat since 2013.
- Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) will be the first Iranian Democrat to serve in Congress and will represent Arizona’s 3rd district.
- Ami Bera (D-CA) has been re-elected to California’s 6th district. The Indian American incumbent has served in the House since 2013.
- Doris Matsui (D-CA) a Japanese American from California’s 7th district, will serve her 10th term in the House.
- Ro Khanna (D-CA), an Indian American, will represent the 17th district of California, a seat he has held since 2017.
- Vince Fong (R-CA) will serve a full term for the 20th district. The Chinese American represented his district following the resignation of Kevin McCarthy.
- Judy Chu (D-CA) has won re-election to the 28th district. The Chinese American has held her seat since 2009.
- Ted Lieu (D-CA), a Taiwanese American, will serve a second term representing the 36th district.
- Dave Min (D-CA), a Korean American, has won California’s 47th district.
- James Moylan (R-GU) will serve a second term has as Guam’s at-large congressional representative.
- Jill Tokuda (D-HI), a Japanese American, has won re-election representing Hawaii’s 2nd district.
- Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), born in India, has won re-election in the 8th district, a seat held since 2017.
- Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the first Palestinian American and one of two Muslim women to serve in Congress, will represent Michigan’s 12th district for a fourth term.
- Shri Thanedar (D-MI), an Indian American, has won re-election to serve the 13th district of Michigan.
- Grace Meng (D-NY), who is of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, has won re-election for a seventh term representing New York’s 6th district.
- Stephanie Bice (R-OK), the first Iranian American member of Congress, has won re-election for a third term representing Oklahoma’s 5th district.
- Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), an Indian American, will represent Virginia’s 10th district.
- Bobby Scott (D-VA), who is of Filipino descent, will once again represent Virginia’s 3rd district, a seat he has held since 1992.
- Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), an Indian American, has been re-elected to represent Washington’s 7th district.
- Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), who is of Korean and African American heritage, has won her third re-election in Washington’s 10th district.
— Associated Press with additional reporting by P.C. Staff
