NEW YORK Donald J. Trump has won the race for president of the United States. North Carolina was a key battleground state in the 2016 election and delivered a margin of victory of nearly 4 percent for Trump over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump will head to Washington, D.C., with the U.S. House and Senate in Republican control. He will also have the opportunity appoint the successor to deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, filling a critical ninth seat on the high court. A wealthy real-estate developer, Trump rode a wave of calls for change and anger toward Washington insiders to win the White House race against Clinton. Clinton’s lengthy “establishment” resume included stints as a first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state. Late calls in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and a late-night concession by Clinton allowed Trump to claim victory. He appeared with his family before cheering supporters in a New York hotel ballroom and said it was time to heal the divisions caused by the campaign and find common ground. While Trump campaigned with a promise to “drain the swamp,” of Washington, in his victory speech overnight he also thanked Clinton for her years of service to the nation. “It is time for us to come together as one united people,” Trump said. He praised Clinton for her service and said he had received a call from her to congratulate him on the win. “I will be president for all Americans.” He said he had a great economic plan and would double U.S. economic growth and embark on a project of renewal. Trump, who at 70 will be the oldest first-term U.S. president, came out on top after a bitter and divisive campaign that focused largely on the character of the candidates and whether they could be trusted to serve as the country’s 45th president. Television networks projected Republicans would retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, where all 435 seats were up for grabs. In the U.S. Senate, the party also put up a tough fight to protect its majority. Reuters contributed to this story.
