US ELECTIONS 2020

Biden flips US state of Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold

Issued on: 13/11/2020 - 11:16

Joe Biden pauses while speaking to supporters in front of an Arizona state flag, at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America's training center in Phoenix, Arizona. © BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

US President-Elect Joe Biden has narrowly won the battleground state of Arizona in what is a monumental shift for a state that was once a Republican stronghold.

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In another blow to President Donald Trump's bid to overturn the results of the 3 November presidential election, Biden has become just the second Democrat to win Arizona since 1948.

Following Bill Clinton’s win the state in 1996, it moved further to the right – making Biden’s victory even more remarkable.

WATCH: Nearly one week after Election Day, NBC News projects that President-elect Biden will win Arizona, earning an additional 11 electoral votes to his victory over Pres. Trump. https://t.co/N1tUndKvDF
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 13, 2020

With his margin now some 0,3 percentage points, Biden is a certainty to capture the state’s 11 electoral college votes, bringing his haul to 290 – 20 more than the 270 required to take the White House.

Trump has repeatedly claimed – without evidence – that the election was marred by fraud, and his campaign has filed lawsuits challenging the vote counts in several states.

France's far right Marine Le Pen 'absolutely does not' recognise Biden's US win

Most Republicans have publicly backed Trump's attempt to contest the results and declined to recognise Biden as the president-elect.

However a handful of Republican senators on Thursday urged the Trump administration to allow Biden to receive intelligence briefings, implicitly acknowledging he could eventually occupy the White House.

(With Agencies)