Barack Obama will win New York’s 29 electoral votes on Tuesday, as well as four more years in the White House, multiple news organizations are reporting.
The president's victory was all but sealed with wins in key battleground states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota, with Florida leaning towards the president as well Tuesday evening.
NBC News called the presidential election for Obama around 11:15 EST. The president sent a message on Twitter at 10:14 saying simply, "This happened because of you. Thank you."
The Obama campaign won the most expensive presidential race ever, with both parties raising about $2.6 billion. The race was filled with negative campaigning on both sides, from President Obama attacking Romney’s business experience with Bain Capital to Romney lambasting Obama’s handling of the economy.
The race tightened during the final months of the campaign, with gaffes and surges from both candidates. After a weak performance after the Republican Convention, Romney surged following Obama’s listless performance after the first presidential debate. Nevertheless, the president cemented a lead in battleground states heading into Tuesday’s election.
In the 2008 presidential election, New York voted for the Democratic candidate, and since the 1990s has voted for the overall winner of the presidential race 3 out of 5 times.
Romney and Obama did not campaign aggressively in New York. The state has typically been a Democratic stronghold in recent presidential elections.
While the crushing blow Hurricane Sandy dealt the New York Metro region had some worried about turnout, across the region locals did what they could to get out to vote, though thousands still remain without power and a gas shortage continues.
The local turmoil did lead to long lines at the polls from hard-hit areas such as Long Beach to White Plains farther upstate.
