AP projection: Joe Biden will win election and become 46th president of the U.S.
(KPAX) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Biden is projected to win the presidential election and become the 46th president of the United States, according to The Associated Press.
Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, will become the first female vice president in the nation's history, as well as the first African American VP. She'll also be the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office.
The projected victory comes four days after Election Day. The former vice president earned enough votes in crucial battleground states to exceed the 270 electoral votes needed to claim victory Saturday.
Biden's win in Pennsylvania put him over the 270 threshold, bringing him to a total of 284 electoral votes, based on the AP's projections.
Along with Keystone State, Biden was able to pull Michigan and Wisconsin back into the Democrats’ corner after the party lost the upper Midwest states known as the “blue wall” in the 2016 presidential election.
Biden released the following statement about his projected win:
"I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris.
In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America.
With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.
It’s time for America to unite. And to heal.
We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together."
Though Biden is the projected winner, President Donald Trump has signaled that he won’t walk away from the White House without a fight. Trump’s campaign has filed lawsuits in multiple swing states in attempt to stop votes from being counted and they’ll request a recount in Wisconsin. Many of those lawsuits have dismissed.
Shortly after the race was called for Biden, Trump released a statement, in which he claims "election is far from over" and said his team will continue its legal fight.
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," said the president in part. "The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots. This is the only way to ensure the public has full confidence in our election."