A state-by-state look at how AP is calling victories in 2020 presidential election

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Here is an alphabetical state-by-state look at how and why The Associated Press is calling U.S. states in the 2020 presidential election. States will be added throughout Election Night.

WHY AP CALLED ALABAMA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Alabama as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of voting statistics confirmed expectations that the state’s longstanding political trend of favoring Republican presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

A Democratic presidential contender hasn’t won Alabama since Jimmy Carter, from neighboring Georgia, did in 1976. Trump carried the state by 28 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED ARKANSAS FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Arkansas as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed expectations that the state’s longstanding political trends in favor of Republican presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Bill Clinton, a native of Hot Springs and a longtime former governor, was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state in 1996. Trump won Arkansas by nearly 27 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED CALIFORNIA FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of California as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed expectations that the state’s longstanding political trend in favor of Democratic presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Hillary Clinton beat Trump in California by 30 percentage points in 2016, and a Republican presidential candidate hasn’t carried the state since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

California is the most populous state in the U.S. and its 55 electoral votes make it the biggest Election Day prize.

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WHY AP CALLED COLORADO FOR JOE BIDEN

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Colorado as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed expectations that the state’s longstanding political trend of favoring Democratic presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Colorado was a swing state not that long ago. It voted for Republican Bob Dole over President Bill Clinton in 1996, and swung for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. And state government was solidly Republican until about 15 years ago.

But massive growth in Denver and its surrounding areas ushered in a political shift. Employment opportunities, craft beer brewing, legal marijuana and the state’s rugged and snow-capped mountains drew in new residents — as well as their decidedly more liberal politics.

Democrats now control the governor’s office and the Legislature. In addition to Biden winning the state, former Gov. John Hickenlooper also ousted incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

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WHY AP CALLED CONNECTICUT FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Connecticut as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Hillary Clinton won Connecticut by over 13 percentage points in 2016. A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t carried the state since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

WHY AP CALLED DELAWARE FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Delaware as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Biden, who moved to Delaware as a boy and continues to live there, represented the state in the U.S. Senate for more than three decades until he became Barack Obama’s vice president in 2009.

Hillary Clinton won Delaware by over 11 percentage points in 2016. The state hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

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WHY AP CALLED IDAHO FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner in Idaho when polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from the election concluding Tuesday.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Idaho. Trump carried the state by over 31 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED ILLINOIS FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Illinois as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Illinois has long been a Democratic stronghold and hasn’t swung for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Hillary Clinton carried the state by 17 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED INDIANA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Indiana at 8:48 p.m. EST, after an analysis of ballots cast statewide concluded there were not enough outstanding ones to allow Democratic nominee Joe Biden to catch up.

With 55% of the expected vote counted, Trump led Biden by roughly 22 percentage points.

Those results matched data from AP VoteCast. The survey found Trump with a substantial lead in the state. VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Trump’s Indiana win is no surprise. He carried the state by 19 points over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. The GOP holds all statewide offices and both Senate seats. And it’s the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, who was Indiana’s governor until Trump picked him to join the GOP ticket in 2016.

Other than 2008, when Barack Obama carved out a narrow win, Indiana hasn’t favored a Democrat for president since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

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WHY THE AP CALLED KANSAS FOR TRUMP

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Kansas at 9:45 p.m. EST, after an analysis of ballots cast statewide concluded there were not enough outstanding ones to allow Democratic nominee Joe Biden to catch up.

With 77% of the expected vote counted, Trump led Biden by nearly 7 percentage points.

The state hasn’t a swung for Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1996, when Kansan Bob Dole was the Republican nominee. Trump won the state by 20 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED KENTUCKY FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Kentucky as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential contender to win Kentucky in 1996. Trump won the state in 2016 by nearly 30 points.

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WHY AP CALLED LOUISIANA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Louisiana as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed the state’s longstanding political trends in favor of Republican presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state in 1996. Trump carried Louisiana by over 19 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED MARYLAND FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Maryland as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Maryland since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the state by over 26 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED MASSACHUSETTS FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Massachusetts as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Hillary Clinton carried the state by over 27 percentage points in 2016, and a Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Massachusetts since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

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WHY AP CALLED MISSISSIPPI FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Mississippi as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of voting statistics confirmed expectations that the state’s longstanding political trends in favor of Republican presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

A Democratic presidential contender hasn’t won Mississippi since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Trump carried the state by more than 17 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY THE AP CALLED MISSOURI FOR TRUMP

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Missouri at 10:18 p.m. EST, after an analysis of ballots cast statewide concluded there were not enough outstanding ones to allow Democratic nominee Joe Biden to catch up.

With 44% of the expected vote counted, Trump led Biden by roughly 16 percentage points.

Bill Clinton in 1996 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Missouri. Trump carried the state by over 18 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED NEBRASKA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of the statewide vote in Nebraska as soon as polls closed there, even though election officials had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

A Democrat hasn’t won a presidential race in Nebraska since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The news agency called the race for Trump after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed expectations that the state’s longstanding political trends in favor of Republican presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

While the AP called the state for Trump, Nebraska is one of two states that don’t award electoral votes on a “winner take all” basis.

Instead, the statewide winner garners two electoral votes, while the winner in each of the state’s three congressional districts is awarded 1 vote per district they carry.

Trump carried Nebraska’s 3rd congressional district. The remaining two have not yet been called.

Trump won Nebraska by about 25 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Joe Biden the winner of New Hampshire at 10:50 p.m. EST, after an analysis of ballots statewide concluded there were not enough outstanding to allow President Donald Trump to catch up.

With 48% of the expected vote counted, Biden led Trump by nearly 9 percentage points — or about 33,000 votes out of 382,000 counted.

Completed vote counts in a representative selection of precincts in communities across New Hampshire also showed Biden comfortably ahead of Trump.

Those results matched data from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics. The survey found Biden with a significant lead in the state.

New Hampshire last voted for a Republican presidential contender in 2004 when George W. Bush was on the ballot. Democrat Hillary Clinton won the state by less than a percentage point in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED NEW JERSEY FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of New Jersey as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won New Jersey since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the state by 14 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED NEW MEXICO FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of New Mexico as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed expectations the state’s longstanding political trends in favor of Democratic presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Trump initially planned to contest New Mexico, which has only voted for a Republican presidential candidate once since 1992, and even held a 2019 rally in Rio Rancho. But the state was not truly within his grasp and his campaign long ago gave up on trying to win it.

Democrats control all statewide offices and both Senate seats, as well as the state’s three congressional districts.

George W. Bush was the last Republican presidential candidate to win the state in 2004. Hillary Clinton carried New Mexico in 2016 by 8 percentage points.

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WHY AP CALLED NEW YORK FOR BIDEN

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of New York as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Ronald Reagan in 1984 was the last Republican to win the state. Trump, who was raised in Queens and built his personal brand as a brash New York City real estate developer, lost the state by more than 22 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED NORTH DAKOTA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of North Dakota as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

The news agency did so after results from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics confirmed expectations the state’s longstanding political trends in favor of Republican presidential candidates will hold.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state. Trump won North Dakota by 36 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED OKLAHOMA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Oklahoma as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state. Trump carried Oklahoma by 36 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED OREGON FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Oregon as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Oregon since Ronald Reagan in 1984, and Democrat Hillary Clinton beat President Donald Trump in the state by 11 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED RHODE ISLAND FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Rhode Island as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Rhode Island since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Hillary Clinton beat Trump in the state by over 15 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED SOUTH CAROLINA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of South Carolina at 7:53 p.m. EST, after results from early returns and an AP survey of the electorate showed Trump had beaten Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the state.

While only about 3% of the vote had been counted statewide, completed counts in a representative selection of precincts in communities across South Carolina showed Trump comfortably ahead.

Those results matched data from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics. The survey found Trump with a substantial lead in the state. VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

South Carolina hasn’t swung for a Democratic presidential contender since the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter, who is from neighboring Georgia. Trump won the state by over 14 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED SOUTH DAKOTA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of South Dakota as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state. Trump won South Dakota by almost 30 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED TENNESSEE FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Tennessee as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Bill Clinton in 1996 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Tennessee. Trump carried the state by 26 percentage points in 2016.

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WHY THE AP CALLED UTAH FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Utah at 11:06 p.m. EST, after an analysis of ballots cast statewide concluded there were not enough outstanding ones to allow Democratic nominee Joe Biden to catch up.

With 65% of the expected vote counted, Trump had a 145,000-vote lead over Biden out of roughly 913,000 ballots cast, which amounted to a roughly 16 percentage point lead.

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state. Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in Utah by 18 percentage points in 2016, even with Utah-native Evan McMullin appearing on the ballot as a conservative alternative to Trump.

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WHY AP CALLED VERMONT FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Vermont as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Biden’s victory in Vermont is not a surprise: Democrats have won the state in every presidential election since 1992, and it is home to former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the state in 2016 by over 28 percentage points.

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WHY AP CALLED VIRGINIA FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democratic nominee Joe Biden the winner of Virginia at 7:31 p.m. EST, after results from early returns and an AP survey of the electorate showed the former vice president had beaten President Donald Trump in the state.

With about 53% of the vote counted statewide at 11 p.m., completed counts in a representative selection of precincts in communities across Virginia showed Biden comfortably ahead of Trump.

Those results matched data from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics. The survey found Biden with a substantial lead in the state. VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Trump jumped out to an early lead in Virginia because many Republican counties reported their results first. But much of the remaining ballots left to be counted were cast in population-dense Democratic areas near Washington D.C., including Fairfax and Prince William counties.

Virginia was once solidly Republican, with President George W. Bush winning there as recently as 2004. But explosive growth in northern Virginia’s Washington, D.C., suburbs has led to an influx of increasingly diverse and Democratic-leaning voters who have helped tip the balance of power.

Democrat Hillary Clinton won Virginia by more than 5 points in 2016. The state has a Democratic governor. And in 2019, Democrats took control of both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in decades.

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WHY AP CALLED WASHINGTON FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of Washington state as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

It’s no surprise Biden won Washington state. Democrats control the governor’s office, the Legislature and both Senate seats.

Though voters there went for Republican presidential candidates in the 1970s and ’80s, left-leaning politics is woven into the state’s political DNA.

The state’s population-dense Puget Sound region has long been a hotbed of labor activism. Seattle, the state’s largest city, was the site of the first general strike of the 20th century in 1919. And Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s postmaster general, James Farley, once joked in 1936 that there were “forty-seven states in the Union, and the Soviet of Washington.” Hawaii and Alaska were not yet states at the time.

A Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won Washington state since Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Trump lost the 2016 vote by 16 percentage points.

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WHY AP CALLED WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR BIDEN:

The AP declared Democratic nominee Joe Biden the winner of Washington, D.C., at 9:26 p.m. EST, after an analysis of ballots cast across the district concluded there were not enough outstanding to allow President Donald Trump to catch up.

With 41% of the expected vote counted, Biden led Trump by roughly 86 percentage points. Those results matched data from AP VoteCast and an analysis of early voting statistics. The survey found Biden with an overwhelming lead.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

The nation’s capital has never voted for a Republican since it was granted electoral votes in 1961. Hillary Clinton carried it by over 85 points in 2016.

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WHY AP CALLED WEST VIRGINIA FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of West Virginia as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Trump won West Virginia by 42 points in 2016. The last Democratic presidential contender to carry the state was Bill Clinton in 1996.

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WHY AP CALLED WYOMING FOR TRUMP:

The AP declared President Donald Trump the winner of Wyoming as soon as polls closed in the state, even though election officials there had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s presidential contest.

VoteCast, the AP’s wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, captures voters’ choices and why they made them.

Lyndon Johnson in 1964 was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state. Trump won Wyoming by 47 points in 2016.