Harris acknowledged her election in an address to her supporters: Read more

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Good afternoon. Thanks everyone. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. So let me say, and I love you back, and I love you back.

So let me say that my heart is full today. My heart is full today. Full of gratitude for the trust placed in me, full of love for our country and full of determination. The result of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright . As long as we never give up and keep fighting.

Our family, I love you very much. To President Biden and Dr. Biden: thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know you will continue to serve our country. And to my extraordinary team, the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, the poll workers and local election officials: I thank you, I thank you all. Look, I’m so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it and the way we ran it. During the 107 days of this campaign, we purposefully built community and created coalitions, bringing together people from all walks of life and backgrounds, united by a love of country, with passion and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did this, recognizing that we all have much more in common than what divides us. I know that people are feeling and going through a range of emotions right now. I understand, but we must accept the results of this election. Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we would help him and his team make the transition and work towards a peaceful transfer of power.

A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. This principle, like any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny, and anyone who seeks the public trust must respect it. At the same time, in our country, we owe allegiance not to the president or the party, but to the Constitution of the United States, as well as to our conscience and our God. My commitment to all three is why I am here to say that while I recognize this election, I do not recognize the fight that fueled this campaign: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for justice and the dignity of all people, the fight for the ideals that lie in the foundation of our nation, ideals that reflect America at its best. This is a fight I will never give up. I will never give up fighting for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations, where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies and not let government tell them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice and for the sacred idea that each of us, no matter who we are or where we come from, has certain fundamental rights. and freedoms that must be respected and supported.

And we will continue to fight this fight in the voting booths, in the courts and in the public squares. We will also live it more calmly as we live our lives, treating each other with kindness and respect, looking into the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, always using our power to inspire people to fight for the dignity that all people deserve. Fighting for our freedom will take hard work, but as I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful, and fighting for our country is always worth it. It’s always worth it. It’s normal for young people watching to feel sad and disappointed, but please know that everything will be okay. In the campaign I often said: when we fight, we win, but here’s the thing, here’s the thing: sometimes the fight takes a while. This doesn’t mean we won’t win. This doesn’t mean we won’t win. The main thing: never give up. Never give up. Never stop trying to make the world a better place. You have the power. You have the power and never listen when someone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the ability to do extraordinary good in the world. And so to everyone who is watching: don’t despair. Now is not the time to give up. It’s time to roll up your sleeves. This is a time to organize, mobilize and continue to work for freedom, justice and the future we all know we can build together.

Look, many of you know that I started out as a prosecutor and throughout my career I have seen people at the worst times in their lives. People who have suffered great harm and great pain, but still found the strength, courage and determination to stand up, stand up, fight for justice, fight for themselves, fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination become our responsibility. And I will end with this: there is a saying that a historian once called a law of history that has been true for any society throughout the centuries. The proverb is: only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel that we are entering dark times, but I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America, if there is one, let’s fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars. Light, light of optimism, faith, truth and service. (Howard University), and may this work guide us, even through setbacks, toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America. I thank you all. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.