After months of grueling campaigning in one of the most contentious, down-and-dirty presidential races in recent memory, Republican nominee Donald Trump was elected President of the United States surpassing the necessary 270 electoral votes to win with 289 votes as of 6:30 a.m. EST.
By contrast, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had won only 218 electoral votes in the same time frame.
Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire and parts of Nebraska had yet to be called by 6:30 a.m. EST.
Trump took an early lead Tuesda night as polls in several states closed on the East Coast at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening. Only minutes after voting booths shut down for the night, Kentucky and Indiana were immediately called for Trump, lending him 19 electoral votes compared to the three Clinton garnered from Vermont. The two state victories paved the way for a Trump lead that never let up throughout the night.
Later on, nail-biter races took off in swing states including Virginia, Ohio and Florida, the latter of which remained neck-and-neck for several hours before finally being called for Trump, handing him a crucial 29 votes. With tight races remaining until the end, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin weren't called for Trump until after 2 a.m.
The billionaire businessman and GOP nominee also took North Carolina, which was considered a swing state heading into Tuesday’s election.
Trump also won handily in Utah with 52 percent, where Independent candidate Evan McMullin had gained considerable ground in recent weeks, threatening both Trump and Clinton. The gain only gave Trump six electoral votes, but indicated a symbolic victory over what had previously been considered a serious third-party challenger.
Around 11:30 p.m., some election analysts and news networks began suggesting Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes could go to Trump, chipping away at one of the last hopes for the Clinton campaign. The state wasn't officially called until the early hours of Wendesday morning, however.
For more than a year, Trump campaigned on a broad platform of increased border security, bringing back U.S.-based jobs and the mantra that he’ll “make America great again.” Prevailing over 15 other Republican contenders for president, Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries with a collective 44.9 percent of the total vote.
In the following months, Trump took aim at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over her email scandals, Benghazi and questions of potential corruption between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department while Clinton served as secretary, among other issues.
Trump’s subsequent campaign wasn’t without its own share of scandals, however. From alleged racist remarks to a last-minute leaked video showing Trump uttering graphic comments about women, the GOP nominee’s campaign was plagued with speed bumps and political hiccups for months heading into Tuesday’s ultimate contest.
Despite these struggles, the former Democrat-turned-Republican presidential nominee managed not to squeak out a victory over Clinton, but win handily by a substantial electoral majority. With votes still being tallied, however, it remains unclear whether Trump dominated the popular vote.
Perhaps, however, the real winner is the American people, if for no other reason than being spared endless political ads and news coverage for at least the foreseeable future.