Wednesday, Nov. 6 — Vice President Kamala Harris gave her concession speech at Howard University, located in Washington, D.C. A concession speech is not required of presidential candidates who lose the election, but are oftentimes done as a sign of courtesy.
A crowd gathered in front of Harris’ podium at 4 p.m. EST to hear her speak on the loss of the election.
Harris addressed her supporters, acknowledging that emotions were running high and that feeling disappointed was okay. She specifically said to her younger voters, “To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win.’ But here’s the thing: Sometimes the fight takes awhile. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up.”
Harris stated that she had privately talked to Donald Trump about conceding. She said that “…I spoke with president-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition. And that we will engage with a peaceful transfer of power.”
Campaign beginnings
Harris began her presidential campaign after current President Joe Biden stepped down as the democratic nominee from the presidential race on July 21, 2024. Biden then endorsed Harris as the democratic nominee for the 2024 election. Her campaign alongside running mate Tim Walz lasted for 107 days.
On Election Day, supporters of Harris gathered at Howard University throughout Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as the votes came in. As more races across states were called, the crowd lost hope for a Harris win. Over 67 million people voted for Harris.
Next steps: post-election processes
With over 72 million votes, Donald Trump won the election — but there are still more steps before he will be inaugurated as the 47th president. The next steps for the presidential election will take place on Dec. 17, 2024, when the Electoral College will sit down to formally vote for the next president. On Jan. 6, 2025, the 119th Congress will meet to count the votes in a ceremonial event. Inauguration Day is on Jan. 20, 2025.
Wednesday, Nov. 6 – The AP officially called the 2024 Presidential Election race in the early hours of Nov. 6. With 277 electoral votes, Donald Trump has been re-elected for president, and J.D. Vance has been elected as vice president. Kamala Harris reached 224 electoral votes. The race was officially called by the AP at 5;38 a.m. eastern time, 4:38 a.m. central standard time.
Trump gave a speech in in Florida at 2:30 a.m. eastern time, acknowledging his win in the election. He stated, “We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible and it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing.”
With this win, Trump will become the second president in American history to serve two non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland served as the 22nd president from 1885 to 1889, then as the 24th president from 1893 to 1897.
