#USElection2020: Joe Biden Wins In Arizona, Becomes First Democrat To Do So Since 1996

Joe Biden has become the first Democrat to win a Presidential election in Arizona in 24 years.

The key state had favoured Trump in 2016 – meaning it is the first state to ‘flip‘ from red to blue overnight.

It makes Biden the first Democrat to win the state since 1996, when Bill Clinton was re-elected.

Biden’s win in Arizona gives him 11 valuable electoral college votes as both candidates try to reach 270. He also flipped one of Nebraska’s five Electoral College seats from red to blue.

The southwestern state broke its own records with early voting, marking a significant turnout with 2.6 million votes having been cast before Election Day on November 3.

Democrats had been hoping to flip the state – a known for its strong support for Republicans for decades – in the tightly-contested presidential race against President Donald Trump.

In the lead-up to Election Day, the Trump campaign had ratcheted up its campaigning in Arizona. Last week, both Trump and his running mate, Vice President Mike Pence, visited the state in a late effort to shore up more votes.

Biden’s running mate, US Senator Kamala Harris, also held campaign events in Phoenix and Tucson last week.

Arizona has a growing Latino population, a fact that had led many analysts to expect a political shift in the state for years.

As at 11:30am, neither candidate had yet won the 270 college votes needed to take the presidency, with Joe Biden projected to win having 238 while Trump has 213.