As the votes were tabulated on election night, it was quickly clear Kamala Harris easily secured California in the 2024 Presidential Election, just as her Democratic predecessors did in 2020 and 2016.
The state's 54 electoral votes, though, were not enough to take the presidency from the projected winner, Donald Trump.
The outcome in the heavily Democratic state where Harris previously served as a U.S. senator and attorney general was expected. A Republican candidate hasn't won a presidential contest in the nation's most populous state since 1988, and the GOP hasn't seriously contested California in a presidential election since 2000.
Decision 2024
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The state's results were much closer than in previous elections in 2016 and 2020, NBC News data shows.
Preliminary results show Harris secured 57% of the vote and Trump secured 40%. Compare that to President Joe Biden's 63.50% of the vote in California in 2020 and Hillary Clinton's 62.30% of the vote in 2016. Trump secured 34.30% and 31.90%, respectively.
Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in California by about 2-to-1, and the party holds every statewide office and dominates the Legislature and congressional delegation.
How San Diego voted for president
San Diego County this year appeared to be a reflection of the state, giving the majority of the vote to Harris as well. But the local vote was also much closer than in previous elections, mostly because of the gain Trump secured in the state's popular vote in several jurisdictions.
Data broken down by precinct shows the divide between red and blue. Take a look at the breakdown below to see how certain neighborhoods voted for president in the 2024 election.
Preliminary 2024 election results show Harris secured 56% of San Diego County's popular vote while Trump secured 42%. Results are still being tabulated and won't be certified until 30 days after the election.
In San Diego County, Democrats secured 56% of the vote in 2016 (Clinton) and 60.2 in 2020 (Biden), NBC News data shows. The Republican candidate, Trump, secured 38% in 2016 and 37.5% in 2020 -- and received a gain of nearly 5% points, so far, this year, according to preliminary results.
How the U.S. voted for President
NBC News has projected Trump as the winner of the 2024 Presidential Election after securing more than the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.
Trump secured key swing states, including Pennsylvania's 17 electoral votes and Harris underperformed across the country, falling behind in several swing states that Joe Biden had won.
In Congress, the Republicans will win control of the Senate after four years of Democratic dominance, NBC News projects. House control remains uncalled.
Here are the nationwide presidential results.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
