Many had counted the victory for the Democrats in Virginia. But Trump had the lead for a long time and with nearly 70 percent of the vote counted, only a few thousand votes separate in Harris’s favor.
– If Trump takes Virginia, it will send shock waves deep into the Democratic Party, says political expert Marcus Oscarsson in TV4’s election watch.
“Must find another way”
In several districts, Kamala Harris loses several percentage points compared to Joe Biden four years ago.
– There are very serious signals for Kamala Harris in that there are so many votes counted. Why is she backing down so much in a part of Virginia where you expect the Democrats to increase election by election? This can have a big impact if it has spread, says Marcus Oscarsson.
Should there be a Republican victory in the state, winning Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania may not be enough to win the election. Per Schlingmann, expert in TV4’s election watch, describes Virginia as a “joker”.
– Should it go to Trump, the whole map changes. Then Kamala Harris has to find another way, he says.
Have staked in Virginia
According to him, one explanation could be that the Democrats claimed victory in advance. At the same time, Trump has been campaigning intensively in the state.
– It may very well be that they saw something that we and others haven’t really seen, says Per Schlingmann.
Andreas Utterström also believes that Kamala Harris will find it difficult to win the election if she loses in Virginia.
– Then she has to pick up that loss in another state, which can be difficult.
Meanwhile, Harris is still considered the likely winner in the state by the New York Times, among others.
– It is as usual in this election, a frustrating exercise in patience and uncertainty, says Andreas Utterström.