OMAHA (DTN) -- As election night stretched on, so did former President Donald Trump's lead in the Electoral College and vote counts in key battleground states as the potential path to victory for Vice President Kamala Harris narrowed dramatically.

Confidence in a Trump victory grew when news organizations called North Carolina for Trump around 10:30 p.m. Central.

While the presidential race was still undecided, Republicans were also racking up victories in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate.

The results Tuesday night came down to Trump carrying rural areas by wide margins while Harris was winning the urban and suburban areas by smaller margins than President Joe Biden four years ago.

The rural vote has been the cornerstone of Trump's support since his first campaign in 2016, and that remains true through this year.

Harris is relying on the "blue wall" of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but Trump was leading in each of those states late Tuesday night as well. Trump was also leading in Georgia.

IOWA POLL MISSES

Trump carried Iowa and its six electoral votes despite the Des Moines Register's Iowa Poll last weekend projecting Harris had a lead in the state. Late in the evening, Trump held a 56%-43% lead over Harris.

NEBRASKA'S BLUE DOT

Harris was leading in the Nebraska 2nd Congressional District by a 54%-45% margin, taking the single electoral vote. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that split electoral votes based on voting in the district.

SENATE RACES

Republicans took a key Senate race in Ohio, unseating a three-term senator, and GOP candidates were leading in Montana and Pennsylvania, while there were also close races in Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Republicans flipped seats in Ohio and West Virginia.

-- In Michigan, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R) was leading Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) in the race to fill the Senate seat for retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D), the chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.

-- Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D), a three-term senator, was trailing to businessman Tim Sheehy (R), a former Navy Seal who owns an aerial firefighting business and a cattle ranch in the state.

-- In Nebraska, Sen. Deb Fischer (R) took a late lead over Independent Dan Osborn. Fischer was carrying nearly all the rural counties in the state, and roughly one-third of them had not reported their votes.

-- Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), a three-term senator and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, lost his seat to businessman Bernie Moreno (R) in a race that was considered the most expensive in the country.

-- In Pennsylvania, David McCormick (R), a hedge fund CEO, was leading Sen. Bob Casey (D), who has served in the Senate since 2007.

-- In Wisconsin, incumbent Tammy Baldwin (D) was also trailing businessman Eric Hovde (R) with nearly 70% of the vote counted.

In other Senate races:

-- Maryland: Angela Alsobrooks (D) defeated two-term Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to hold the seat for Democrats.

-- New Jersey: Rep Andy Kim (D) won the seat that had been held by former Sen. Bob Menendez (D).

-- Texas: Ted Cruz (R) carried the state over Rep. Colin Allred (D) despite an aggressive push to unseat him.

-- West Virginia: Gov. Jim Justice (R) was elected as U.S. senator, replacing retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (D).

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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