TEXAS, USA — Polls have closed in Texas, and the Associated Press has called Republican nominee Donald Trump the winner of the state, which carries him a large amount of the way towards victory against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
In order to win the presidency, the candidate must secure at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes available. Each state carries its own number of votes depending on the population of the state. And given the size of Texas, it carries a lot of them.
Texas has a whopping 40 electoral votes in the presidential election. That's nearly 15% of the 270 required to secure victory. It's the second-highest number of electoral votes in the country behind California, which has 54 electoral votes.
Republicans have won Texas in every presidential election since 1980. The last Democrat to win Texas was President Jimmy Carter in 1976. And Trump has previously won Texas in both 2016 and 2020.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement congratulating Trump on his victory in Texas.
"Texans know who will slash inflation, secure our southern border, unleash American energy, and crack down on violent crime—and that's Donald Trump," Abbott said. "Texans rejected Kamala Harris' radical leftist agenda and voted to restore freedom, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans.”
Track the presidential votes in Texas here:
