By Camille Furst and Lara Becker
Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor
Democratic candidate Joe Biden, the former vice president under the Obama Administration, is projected to clinch the victory against President Donald Trump in a revolutionary presidential election.
Alongside the triumph, projected Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris makes history, becoming the first woman — and first woman of color — to be projected to be on the winning ticket.
Although election day was Tuesday, Nov. 3, Americans saw a drawn-out race to the finish line as ballot boxes continued to be counted in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Ultimately, a final count in Pennsylvania pulled candidate Biden ahead, bringing him to the necessary 270 electoral college votes.
After a contentious election season that has pitted many Americans against each other, Joe Biden says that he hopes to unite a fractured nation.
“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country,” Biden said on his Twitter account, where he now identifies as “President-Elect” in his profile. “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. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.”
Meanwhile, current President Donald Trump has refused to concede, saying that the “election is far from over.” Three hours ago, he tweeted “I won this election, by a lot!” Biden is the first candidate to beat an incumbent in more than 25 years, according to The New York Times.
Students at the College have waited with the rest of the nation in anticipation for the results, and with Biden receiving the electoral college votes needed to seize the victory, many are relieved for the present and hopeful for the future.
Kiara Fernandez, a freshman secondary education and English dual major, doesn’t just see this as a win for her, but for all “Black, Indigenous and people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and change for our country.”
“I feel safe for the first time in four years,” she said.
The Biden-Harris campaign has aligned themselves with support for diverse communities nationwide, describing the administration as a “presidency for all Americans,” according to Biden’s website.
“Finally getting the answer that has been so needed just makes me so happy. Everyone’s voice matters. This is an example that our voices matter,” said Briana Brown, a sophomore biology major on the executive committee of the College’s NAACP chapter. “And we all have to do the work to love one another, unite and just have more love at the center of everything that we do. The work is being done to better our nation for each other and for our future generations to come.”
