President Barack Obama has won reelection for a second four-year term, defeating Republican rival Mitt Romney and vowing that he is “more determined and more inspired than ever.”
Latest projections based on partial results and exit polls show Democrat Obama, the 44th American president and the first black occupant of the Oval Office, winning at least 303 electoral votes.
He delivered a victory speech to a crowd of supporters in Chicago, urging them and all Americans to continue to “sustain” their hope.
- The victory speech by Barack Obama
“Tonight in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back,” Obama said, “and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.”
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, offered his congratulations to Obama and gratitude to his campaign staff and supporters in a concession speech in front of his campaign headquarters in Boston.
“I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory,” Romney said. “His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady, and their daughters. This is a time of great challenges for America and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.”
Obama’s expected victory was declared after the networks projected the incumbent winning the closely contested state of Ohio, propelling Obama beyond the 270-vote Electoral College majority needed to secure the presidency under America’s system.
- Romney thanks his supporters
The U.S. Electoral College, not the nationwide popular vote, decides the presidency.
Each state has a share of electoral votes, based on its population.
Obama appeared to prevail despite a weak U.S. economy and high unemployment — circumstances usually seen as hurting reelection chances.
Media projections showed Obama emerging victorious in most of the states that, before election day, were closely competitive “swing states,” including Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Obama was also projected for victories in northeastern states such as New York and Massachusetts, and in much of the west, including California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Colorado.
The projections showed Romney losing his home state of Michigan, where his father was governor, and also Wisconsin, the home state of his vice presidential running mate Paul Ryan.
Legislative Results
Meanwhile, citing partial results and exit polls, major networks have projected that Republicans will retain control of the House of Representatives while Democratic lawmakers will keep their narrow majority in the Senate.
With the chambers of Congress again divided between the parties, passing major legislation could continue to be challenging for Obama when he begins his second four-year term.
The two major American parties have been deadlocked for years on a range of legislation.
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