Mass. Politicians Celebrate Biden And Harris' Victory

Joe Biden has been been elected the 46th president of the United States and Kamala Harris has been elected the 49th vice president of the United States, according to the Associated Press.

This news came with the AP's call that the Democrats had won Pennsylvania, adding 20 electoral votes to Biden's tally. With those 20 votes, he surpassed the 270 needed to win the presidency.

Many local Massachusetts politicians, including the all-Democratic congressional delegation, celebrated the ticket's win over Donald Trump and expressed their congratulations and hope for the future administration.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey tweeted congratulatory messages to President-elect Joe Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris.

"President-elect Biden understands the heavy burden being placed on his shoulders," Warren went on to tweet. "A band-aid won’t fix this pandemic and economic crisis that are worsening every day. We have a mandate to contain this virus, save lives, and begin rebuilding our economy."

Markey in an interview said he hoped the Senate could move forward with a bipartisan coronavirus relief package now that the election is over.

"Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell have cut many deals over the years," he said. "And we’re in a position right now — my fingers are crossed — that in the next several weeks, we’ll be able to put together a coronavirus relief package that has real funding for small businesses [and] those who are unemployed."

Gov. Charlie Baker tweeted his congratulations, and expressed hope that any court challenges be resolved quickly because people "deserve a government that can work collaboratively to fight COVID-19, rebuild our economy and give people hope that there will be a positive path forward."

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, was is the Massachusetts chairman of the Trump campaign, said he supports the president's legal challenges in several states.

"When it's finally determined, whether it's through the courts or whatever, you know, [it's] time to unite as Americans and stop drawing the line in the sand and recognize we all come from different perspectives. And thats OK," he said in an interview Saturday.

Congressman Jim McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee, released a statement expressing that the people of the country have spoken, and "the goodness of America is shining through."

"We will soon have a president and vice president who believe in science, who defend human rights and stand up to bullies around the world, and who see the common dignity of every person on this planet," McGovern said in the statement. "After years of divisiveness, the power of the White House will once again be used to bring our country together instead of tearing us apart."

Gus Bickford, Chairman of the Mass. Democratic Party, urged GOP leaders to send their congratulations to the newly-elected administration.

"It would be important for them to congratulate the president-elect and the vice president-elect — Biden and Harris — and put it in their words that they recognize the legitimacy of this election," Bickford said. "That every vote counts. That, as America, we need to move forward."

Bickford also says there's a lot of work ahead to do to undo the damage President Trump has done the in the past four years.

"Today, we celebrate the power of the people. Organizers and community builders, their efforts generations in the making, have delivered a decisive victory."

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh shared photos of himself with Biden and Harris on Twitter, and offered his congratulations.

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, who is running for mayor in Boston, followed a celebratory tweet with calls for change at all levels.

We expressed hope that a Biden administration would do more to protect vulnerable people in Boston.

"Over the last four years we have been bearing the onslaught of rolling back protections, of direct attacks on communities, particularly our immigrants and communities and color," she said during an interview Saturday. "So, to know that there will be a very different approach in the White House is a huge relief."

Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell, who is also running for mayor, noted the history made by Harris — the first Black woman, first Indian American and the first Asian American to be elected to the vice presidency.

Former Massachusetts governor and current Utah Senator Mitt Romney — a sometimes Trump critic --  sent his best wishes to Biden and Harris.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley sent out a statement praising the people of America for voting and making their voices heard.

"Today, we celebrate the power of the people," she said in the statement. "Organizers and community builders, their efforts generations in the making, have delivered a decisive victory. By electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — by one of the widest popular vote margins in the past two decades — the American people have chosen compassionate leadership, decisively rejected the politics of hate that have defined the past four years, and delivered a mandate for change."

"We celebrate the history made in this election; Kamala Harris will be the first woman, the first Black American, the first Asian American, to be Vice President of the United States, shattering yet another concrete ceiling," she continued.

Other members of Congress sent out their own celebratory tweets, many pointing toward hope and rebuilding the country.

Outgoing Congressman Joe Kennedy III reacted to a tweet from President Trump, who has sent out numerous statements that have been labeled "disputed" and "misleading" by Twitter. As of Saturday afternoon, Trump has not conceded the race to Biden and Harris.