FLORIDA — (CNN) Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are locked in a dramatic battle for the all-important state of Florida.
The Sunshine State, which carries 29 electoral votes, is likely a must-win for Trump’s presidential hopes.
The race is emerging as one of the biggest nail-biters of the night.
As polls closed on the East Coast, Clinton won seven states and the District of Columbia, while Trump came out on top in eight states, according to CNN projections. Regardless of who prevails, history will be made as Americans elect either their first woman president or side with the ultimate political outsider.
The Democratic nominee has 68 electoral votes compared to 66 for her GOP rival, according to CNN projections. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
Both candidates argue the election presents an unusually significant choice for a divided nation. Democrats warn that Trump, with his rhetoric on race, gender and immigration, would represent a rejection of core American values. Trump insists his campaign represents America’s last chance to drive out a corrupt political establishment that has turned its back on hard-working Americans.
New York is the center of the political universe this Election Day. This is the first campaign since 1944 in which both candidates are from the Empire State. And their victory parties are being held a mile and a half apart in Manhattan.
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