INDIANAPOLIS -- Republican Donald Trump will take Indiana's 11 electoral college votes.
The call was made shortly after 7 p.m. as the final polls in the state's western counties were closing.
Indiana – the state that ended the primary race in Trump's favor – was one of the first three states called Tuesday night, along with Vermont (Hillary Clinton) and Kentucky, which also went for Trump.
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The Hoosier State was always a long shot for Clinton, as Indiana has only gone to a Democrat twice in the past five decades – in 2008 with the election of President Barack Obama and in 1964 for President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Trump won a decisive victory in the primary over rivals Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich. He was projected to have more than an 80-percent likelihood of winning Indiana going into Election Day.
The New York billionaire's message has resonated particularly with workers in manufacturing industries, which Indiana is a national leader in. Trump has made lambasting free trade agreements a central part of his campaign, including frequent references to 1,400 jobs lost in Indianapolis when Carrier announced it will move its furnace plant to Monterrey, Mexico.
He also selected Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate. Pence, while facing a tough reelection bid at home, was seen by many as an olive branch to the socially conservative branch of the Republican Party, which has deep roots in Indiana.
