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Election 2016: Trump Wins Presidency,
Republicans Hold Congress
Washington Council Ernst & Young
9 November 2016
After the most tumultuous and unpredictable campaign in modern history, Republican Donald Trump
upset Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the Presidency, claiming at least 279 electoral votes (270
electoral votes to win) to Clinton's 228, with results in Arizona, Michigan, and New Hampshire still
outstanding, according to the Associated Press. The popular vote margin remains close, with Trump
currently trailing by approximately 200,000 votes out of a total of almost 120 million votes that have
been counted. Clinton's blue wall of support was pierced by Trump with unexpected wins in
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He also won the needed battleground states of Florida, Ohio, and North
Carolina. With fewer losses than expected, Republicans will retain their majorities in the House and
Senate, thereby controlling both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Clinton, who called Trump last night to concede the race, said this morning, "I offered to work with him
[Trump] on behalf of our country" and "our nation is more deeply divided than we thought," but went on
to say, "we stand together..and our best days are still ahead of us." In his remarks shortly before 3:00
AM, President-elect Trump said, "It is time to bind the wounds of division. It is time for us to come
together as one united America." He went on to say that it was "not a campaign, but an incredible
movement." And, alluding to his policy agenda, Trump said we "would be working together to begin the
task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream." Trump has touted an agenda of
revitalizing the economy and promoting job growth by reforming the tax code, rebuilding America's
infrastructure, repealing and replacing "Obamacare," and being "tough" on immigration and in
renegotiating international trade agreements.
Maintaining the Senate majority will give Republicans the ability to set the agenda in the
Senate. However, bipartisan cooperation still will be necessary to achieve meaningful policy
accomplishments as Senate rules generally require a 60-vote threshold for movement on most
issues. An early challenge may be filling the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Antonin
Scalia in early 2016 - one that could spark fireworks on Capitol Hill and across the country's highly
charged political environment. How Republicans, Democrats, and Trump navigate through the process
of nominating and confirming a new Justice to the Supreme Court is likely to set the tone in the Senate
for the next two years. The nature of Speaker Paul Ryan's relationship with President-elect Trump and
his often unruly House Republican Conference is not clear at this time. However, the House Republican
"Better Way" agenda, which was developed in consultation with the Trump campaign, is now a focal
point for congressional action.
Electoral votes
Trump
279
Clinton
228
Leaning Democratic
Leaning Republican
EY
Building a better
working world
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