Sen. John Kerry Easily Holds Onto Seat

Senator John Kerry has won his race for reelection. He beat his Republican opponent, Harwich businessman Jeff Beatty by 65 percent to 31 percent.

WBUR's Steve Brown reports.

In his acceptance speech, Kerry thanked his supporters, and paid tribute to his colleague, Senator Ted Kennedy, who has returned to Washington after being treated for a brain tumor. Kerry said he's looking forward to the challenges ahead.

KERRY: I pledge to you, and to all who voted, that we're going to continue this fight to win back our future. We're going to put America back to work. We're going to restore America's credibility, and leadership in the world.

While acknowledging Barack Obama's presidential win, Kerry did not make any reference to rumors he is in line for a position in Obama's cabinet.