Kamala Harris wins Rhode Island, AP says

A campaign sign on Washington Street in Newport supports the presidential bid of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. (Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)

Democrat Kamala Harris won Rhode Island on Election Night, securing the Ocean State’s four Electoral College votes when the polls closed at 8 p.m., according to preliminary, unofficial results. The Associated Press called the race for Harris because results from AP VoteCast showed she was leading by at least 15 percentage points.

Harris’ victory over Republican Donald Trump, called by the Associated Press one minute after polls closed, was hardly a surprise in a solidly blue state that hasn’t voted for a Republican in a presidential election since Ronald Reagan’s reelection in 1984.

Harris drew most of her support from Rhode Island’s urban core and coastal communities, while the western and northern parts of the state were closely divided between Harris and Trump. Tuesday’s results largely mirror what happened in 2020, when Democrat Joe Biden won Rhode Island with nearly 60% of the vote, compared with Trump’s 39%.

As of 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes before polls closed Tuesday night, nearly 498,000 Rhode Island voters had cast ballots in the election, equal to 62.9% turnout, according to the Rhode Island Department of State turnout tracker. By comparison, 64% of Rhode Island voters participated in the 2020 presidential race; turnout in 2016 fell just short of 60%.

Neither presidential candidate paid a visit to the Ocean State during their campaigns. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared at a private fundraiser in Newport in August. More recently, on Oct. 24, U.S. Commerce Secretary and former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo attended a fundraising reception at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence hosted by the Rhode Island Democratic Party. Both private fundraisers were billed as events to raise support for Harris in battleground states.

Despite its reputation as a Democratic stronghold, nearly half of the state’s 723,000 registered voters are unaffiliated, according to the Rhode Island Department of State. Democrats comprise 38% of registered voters, while Republicans make up the remaining 14%.