Viral claim wrong: Harris won Virginia, official results show
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A viral post on X falsely claims that votes for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in the 2024 election prevented Vice President Kamala Harris from winning Virginia.
This assertion is incorrect. Multiple reliable sources, including the Virginia Department of Elections, confirm that Harris emerged victorious in the state’s presidential race.
Harris wins Virginia pic.twitter.com/09j83Q7lnZ
— American Family Radio (@AFRnet) November 6, 2024
The misleading post, which has garnered over five million views, suggests that 20,000 “woke Twitter warriors” voting for Stein cost Harris the Virginia win. It includes an image showing partial results with Donald Trump leading Harris by a narrow margin.
However, official election data tells a different story. The Virginia Department of Elections reports that Harris secured 51.56% of the vote (2,226,768 votes), while Trump received 46.36% (2,002,197 votes). Stein and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver garnered 0.74% and 0.43% respectively.
These results are corroborated by The New York Times, which shows Harris winning with 51.8% (2,227,756 votes) compared to Trump’s 46.6% (2,003,384 votes). Additionally, The Associated Press called the Virginia race for Harris on election night at 11:42 p.m.
Fact-checking organizations have also debunked this claim. Lead Stories, for instance, refuted the assertion on November 6, citing both the Virginia Department of Elections and The Associated Press.
When asked to comment on the viral post, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Elections simply directed inquiries to their official election totals.
It’s worth noting that while this false claim circulates, Harris’s campaign reportedly faced financial challenges. According to Newsweek, citing Politico bureau chief Christopher Cadelago, the campaign ended with “at least $20 million in debt” despite raising over $1 billion and having “$118 million in the bank as of Oct. 16.”
In conclusion, the claim that Jill Stein’s votes prevented Kamala Harris from winning Virginia in the 2024 election is demonstrably false. Official election results and reputable news sources confirm Harris’s victory in the state.
