As Vice President Kamala Harris worked until the last moment to secure the Black vote, a national exit poll published on Oct. 5 revealed an increase in people of color who voted for Republican candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
The survey, published by NBC News on Tuesday showed that 1 in 3 people across voters who identified as Black, Latino, and Asian, voted for Trump. Black voters for Harris only reached 86%, compared to the 87% of Black votes for President Joe Biden in 2020, the NBC News exit poll showed. Hispanic/Latino votes for Trump jumped from 32% in 2020 to 45% this election, while Asian voters in favor of the Republican candidate increased from 34% to 38%.
In swing states, Black voter support decreased for Harris compared to the number who backed Biden in 2020. Black voter support for Trump more than doubled in Wisconsin compared to 2020, while Black voter support for the GOP candidate increased from 5% in 2020 to 17% in Pennsylvania this election, which according to World Population Review, is the fifth most-populous state in the U.S. Support by Black men alone in the state increased to 23%.
In Georgia, another closely watched swing state, Harris struggled to obtain the 91% of support from Black voters Biden received in 2020, securing only 83% in her favor. According to Fox News‘ exit poll, the Howard University alum hit a rough patch with Black men in the Peach state. Compared to the 87% of Black men in Georgia who backed Biden in 2020, Harris won 73%, while 25% of Black men in the state cast their ballot for Trump. The Republican candidate saw a 14-point increase in support among Black male voters in the 2024 election compared to 2020. Harris lagged behind by 6 points compared to support Black Georgia women showed Biden in 2020. As previously noted by BLACK ENTERPRISE, both Trump and Harris fought hard for Georgia’s votes. However, Black voters in different counties across the state were concerned about matters like student loan forgiveness, immigration, and inflation.
According to Pew Research, Black voters in the U.S. were estimated to account for over 34 million of eligible voters this year, a 7% increase from 2020. The NBC exit poll revealed that main concerns for U.S. voters included democracy and the economy. “As a Black man in America, I get it,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), according to Politico. During an event hosted by the Black Conservatives Federation on Sunday, he stated, “I get how some people would view it as a historic event for Kamala Harris…But history does not put food on your table. History does not keep our communities safe. And history does not have the United States thrive, so all of us can thrive.”
A 21-year-old, who attended Harris’ rally, but cast his vote for Trump said his main concerns included illegal immigration, safety, and the economy.
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