Congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.
Congratulations to their families, to the thousands of Biden-Harris staff, and to the thousands of Democratic party officials and activists. Thank you to every organizer, volunteer, and grassroots supporter who has fought for years to deliver this hard-won victory.
Americans showed up in record-shattering numbers to make their voices heard. Joe and Kamala have won more votes than any candidate in history. And for the very first time, we've elected a woman as our Vice President. Millions of little girls who see themselves in Kamala will dream a little bigger tonight. Joe and Kamala will bring decency and competence to the White House. They understand what’s at stake and will lead us forward with purpose and moral clarity.
We need that kind of leadership because our country is in serious trouble. The coronavirus is getting worse, not better. We need to listen to the scientists. We need more testing, more personal protective equipment, and more contact tracing.
Our economic crisis is getting worse, not better. We fix this by getting the virus under control, protecting workers, making it safe for kids and teachers to be at school, and supporting restaurants and other small businesses.
A band-aid approach won’t get the job done. We have a mandate for action on bold plans to meet these twin health and economic crises. That’s what Americans deserve—and that’s what I’ll be pushing for every single day.
And we need structural change. The economy has been rigged against working people—especially people of color—for generations. The government has catered to the needs and wants of big corporations while everyone else gets left behind.
Yes, our country is divided, but whenever they are asked, voters of both parties make it clear in overwhelming numbers that they don’t want a government controlled by giant corporations and their lobbyists. In the past, steps to build unity and consensus in Washington have often meant turning over the keys to those corporations and lobbyists. We must resist this.
Democrats are the party of ideas and opportunity. We believe that everyone deserves a good job, a good education, and a good future. But we cannot just say it—we must show it.
We face victories and losses in the Election of 2020, but we can't be worn out. Meeting this moment was always going to require more than flipping seats from red to blue.
There is much work to do. Our righteous fights make us stronger and more determined than ever. We must keep pushing until we’ve built the America of our greatest imaginations. So that when our children and grandchildren ask what we did to emerge from this dark chapter, we can say: We organized, we persisted—and we changed America.