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What went right for Republicans, wrong for Democrats in 2024 presidential election

Georgia Republicans were pleased to make gains in normally Republican-leaning counties, while Democrats learn lessons in defeat.

ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans are crediting a strong ground game for President-Elect Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election. Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon celebrated the results, as he pointed to gains with White women, Latino men and younger voters for earning Mr. Trump a second term in the White House.

"It was a huge victory for us here, a validation of our strategy going after low-propensity voters," McKoon said. "We had tremendous success with that. Almost 20% of the people who voted in this election didn't vote in 2020. We're just going to make America great again."

McKoon said the shift in the electorate portends a newly forming base for the Republican party in Georgia and nationwide. 

"We need to continue to do what President Trump did in terms of engaging populations that have not traditionally gone for Republicans," McKoon said. "These are real opportunities to continue to grow the Republican party into a multi-racial coalition built around middle-class and working-class America."

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson said Vice President Kamala Harris raised significant money and visited several critical battleground states. However, with just 106 days to run for president, Johnson said Harris's limited time on the campaign trail became a headwind too strong to overcome.

"I don't think she necessarily did anything wrong," Johnson said. "I think it was just really where the country was. They wanted change. I believe that had there been a little more runway for her, a little more time to introduce her and compete and make compelling arguments to the American people. She would have won."

Johnson said Georgia was one of the more competitive states, which gave him promise for Democratic performances in future elections. President Joe Biden won the Peach State in 2020, the first time Georgia went blue since 1992. However, Trump received more turnout in more loyally Republican counties and Harris could not make up the margins in Democratic strongholds such as Chatham, Bibb and Fulton Counties.

“We gotta accept the loss," Johnson said. "We gotta figure out how to move on and get better. Number two, we actually have to listen to the American people and Georgia voters. We have to learn what we didn’t do best. We have to take what we’ve heard, and we also have to listen. Lastly, we have to lead. We have to regroup, accept the loss and be ready to compete and be focused in 2026."

While turnout increased in Georgia from 2020 to 2024, nationally turnout was down compared to the previous election. Political strategist Fred Hicks said Harris's campaign strategy tried to be too inclusive, whereas Trump doubled down on already-won support to squeeze the highest turnout out of reliably Republican areas. 

"She was never really able to successfully divorce herself from President Biden," Hicks said. "Her base did not fully align behind her. If there's anything she could've done differently, it's she could have spent more time turning out Democrats and less time trying to court the middle." 

Hicks said ultimately, voters cared more about immigration and inflation and wanted change on a much shorter timeframe.

"I think it was the twin I’s: immigration and inflation," Hick said. "Those were the two things top of mind in the polls. It's hard for people to think about something six months or nine months from now when they're trying to make it between the 15th and first of every month."

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