Kamala Harris said that the light of America’s promise will burn bright if people do not give up fighting for their rights.
US Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris delivered a rousing concession speech after losing to Donald Trump at her alma mater Howard University. Greeted by chants of ‘Kamala, Kamala!’, Harris said that she concedes the elections and accepts her defeat but vowed to ‘not concede the fight that fueled this campaign’, referring to her whirlwind campaign that failed to stop Republican Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
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US President-elect Donald Trump won 295 electoral college votes and netted the electoral college votes of swing state Michigan and also won in Alaska.
“Hear me when I say: The light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting,” Harris said.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she told supporters.
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She pledged to continue fighting for women’s rights and against gun violence and to “fight for the dignity that all people deserve.”
She said she had called President-elect Trump, congratulated him on his triumph and promised to engage in a peaceful transfer of power.
Harris addressed a crowd that included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, aides in President Joe Biden’s White House and thousands of fans who listened to a soundtrack that included Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls)” and Tye Tribbett’s “We Gon’ Be Alright.”
Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, joined the crowd.
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Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket in July after Biden stepped aside and brought new-found enthusiasm and cash to the Democratic ticket, but struggled to overcome voters’ concerns about the economy and immigration.
She was handed a resounding loss, with Trump winning a greater share of votes across most of the country compared with his performance in 2020 and Democrats failing to secure key battleground states that decide elections.
Thousands had gathered at Howard University, Harris’ alma mater, on Tuesday night for what they hoped would be a historic victory for the first woman to become president. They came back on Wednesday to show their support after her loss.
(with inputs from Reuters)
