Joe Biden Elected as the 46th President After Days of Uncertainty
“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.”
After four days of nonstop ballot counting, bogus legal challenges, and protests, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris have won the 2020 presidential election.
When much of the country went to bed on Tuesday, there were few answers as to who would become the next president. Wednesday and Thursday were nail-biters, with only Michigan and Wisconsin sending in results — and flipping for Biden. Meanwhile, results from Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia trickled in, leaving the country in the dark about which candidate would take or maintain the lead overnight. But by Friday morning, Georgia and Pennsylvania had flipped for Biden, and on Saturday, his margin in Pennsylvania passed .5 percentage points, earning him the state’s 20 Electoral College votes and clinching the presidency. President Donald Trump is not expected to concede the election. The president said in a campaign statement that he would continue to wage legal challenges to the results.
The election marks significant milestones in U.S. history. Harris will be the first woman and woman of color to serve as vice president. Biden will be the oldest president. Despite making historic strides, the road to the White House was not a smooth one.
A year ago, Biden and Harris were opponents for the Democratic nomination. Harris made headlines for grilling Biden on his record on using busing to desegregate schools at a Democratic debate in June 2019. They also picked each other apart on healthcare. Harris supported Medicare for All, while Biden pitched an expansion of the Affordable Care Act. Harris dropped out of the race six months later. But after Biden clinched the nomination, Harris reappeared, joining the shortlist of vice presidential candidates. Biden announced Harris would be his running mate in August, making her the first Black and Asian American woman to be a vice presidential nominee.
Despite losing the White House, Republicans fared well overall. Republican Senators Joni Ernst, Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, and Mitch McConnell retained their seats. Democrats picked up a Senate seat in Arizona when Mark Kelly defeated Martha McSally, but determining who controls the Senate remains in the hands of Georgians, as the state will hold runoffs for both its Senate seats in January. Republicans also ate into the Democrats’ House majority, flipping eight seats for a net gain of five, while Democrats flipped three but lost seven incumbents. Though it could be premature, Axios reported that a predominantly Republican Senate may force Biden to appoint more centrist cabinet members, with Senator Chris Coons telling POLITICO that there may be a constitutional crisis “pretty immediately.”
Harris emphasized that the results are about more than herself or Biden. “It’s about the soul of America and our willingness to fight for it. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” she wrote on Twitter Saturday. “Let’s get started.”
“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country,” wrote Biden on Twitter. “The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not.”
Biden’s narrow victory margins in a tight race also indicate that much of the country did not see President Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, appeal to white supremacist groups, and nationalism as a problem — and, in fact, were ready for another four years of it. While Biden ran on unity, it’s unclear what that vision will look like in a country divided.
Rachel N-Blair contributed.
