Businessman Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States of America, after clinching more than 270 electoral votes in a long, drawn-out campaigns that never failed to surprise.
The Associated Press called the election in President-elect Trump's favor shortly after 1:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday after Trump took another victory in the dark blue state of Wisconsin, which had not voted for Republican since 1984.
In his victory speech, Trump said America needs to "bind its wounds of division."
"We have to get together," the president-elect told crowds. "To all Republicans, Democrats and Independents, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who failed to lock down the needed electoral college votes needed to become president, called, conceded the presidency and congratulated Trump on his victory early Wednesday morning.
"She congratulated us, it's about us, on our victory," Trump said. "And I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign. She fought very hard. Hillary has worked very long and very hard. ... We owe her a major debt of gratitude to our country."
On Wednesday morning, Clinton publicly conceded to Trump. She told a crowd of somber supporters at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan that she would give Trump, America's next president, a chance to lead " with an open mind."
"I hope he will be a successful president for all Americans," Clinton said. "This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for. I'm sorry we did not win this election. ... But I still believe in America, and I always will."
Trump, who had no prior political, military or public service experience, won the presidency largely in thanks to several Rust-Belt states, which were once reliably blue, including Michigan and Wisconsin.
Pennsylvania, a closer toss-up state, went in Trump's favor as well, along with Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. To win the presidency, Trump ran the gambit, taking nearly all of the battleground states he needed and then some.
In Lee County, Trump unsurprisingly took more than 58 percent of the vote. Clinton took less than 36 percent. Lee County's vote differed only slightly from that of the entire state, where Trump brought home nearly 63 percent and Clinton took only 34 percent.
"I feel like this is a very important time in America right now," said Auburn sophomore Jacob Batchelor, who cast his vote for Donald Trump. "Either way, both candidates don't seem to be very good, but I think Donald Trump is better because of all the lies Clinton tells."
Trump won the Yellowhammer State more decisively than 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who won the state with less than 61 percent. Exit polls suggest that Clinton won the millennial vote decisively. Clinton also won the popular vote with the help of the West Coast.
"It's kinda discouraging to think that my vote won't count because of the Electoral College," said Claire Langford, senior in marketing. "It just needs to be done away with and leave it up to majority."
President Barack Obama will continue serving as president until Jan. 20, when Trump will take the oath of office on the steps of the United State Capitol.
Lily Jackson, lifestyle editor, contributed reporting to the article.
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