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US elections: Suspense over, Biden wins a cliffhanger

New York - In a Friday night address to the nation, Biden promised to restore unity.

Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States of America after a victory was announced in Pennsylvania, the State in which he was born.

Following what many call one of the ugliest election campaign’s in the country’s history, Democrats sighed in relief Saturday morning as the news was announced. In New York, a predominantly Democratic state, residents cheered from their windows, clanging pots and pans, and clapping in excitement for the next president.

Rami Rosen, a New York Democrat who spoke with Khaleej Times said this victory marks a return to the America we love.

“I feel relieved. I feel like sanity came back to reality, I feel like there’s hope, I feel like this is a new beginning - that the Coronavirus will now be under control and that we are back to the normal world. We’re back to sanity and we’re back to hope” Rosen added.

In a Friday night address to the nation, Biden promised to restore unity and work both for those who voted for him and those who did not. Reaching out to Republicans he said, “we may be opponents but we’re not enemies, we’re Americans. This is the United States of America”

Many Republicans meanwhile continue to question the integrity of the election as President Trump prepares for legal action. Shortly after the Presidential announcement was made, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani said the president will not concede the election, “when 600,000 ballots are in question”. On Saturday morning, shortly before the projection of Joe Bidens win, Trump tweeted “I won this election, by a lot”.

Republican voters we spoke with are sticking by the President and hoping for a recount.

“Today's media projections are just that, projections. I fully expect the election results to be decided by the US Supreme Court” says former GOP Congressional Candidate Bryan Leib.

Other Republican sources refused to give commentary, saying they fear they will be targeted for their views.

The former Vice President will enter office facing several challenges: a deeply polarized nation, a Senate that appears likely to remain in Republican control, and continuous charges over a stolen election. He will have to more urgently manage the pandemic as the number of cases rise nationwide, and the economic crises that worsens as a result.

As Joe Biden prepares for his presidency many are waiting to see what a Biden-Harris administration will mean for US foreign policy and America’s role in the world. Will Biden appeal to the more radical wing of his party or align with more moderate Democratic and Republican lawmakers? This remains to be seen.