Democrat Josh Shapiro projected Pennsylvania's next governor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - CBS News projects Democrat Josh Shapiro is the winner in the race to become the next governor of Pennsylvania, defeating Republican Doug Mastriano.
It was a very victorious moment for Shapiro's supporters as they celebrated late Tuesday night.
"Tonight I humbly stand before you as your governor-elect, knowing that you met this moment. You met this moment," Shapiro said during his victory speech.
Shapiro greeted his supporters and thanked them for a long campaign run. He is now the first governor to be elected to succeed a member of his party since 1966. The two-term elected attorney general positioned himself as a moderate democrat focused on the economy, education, public safety - and a very heated issue - abortion rights.
"A woman's right to choose won. The right to the organize here in Pennsylvania, that won. Your right to vote won. And in the face of all of the lies and the conspiracies and baseless claims, you also ensured tonight that truth won right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Shapiro said.
Early Tuesday evening, Shapiro was projected as defeating Republican and Trump backed candidate Doug Mastriano with 54.6% to a 43.5% win. Mastriano still has yet to concede, and shortly after Shapiro's speech, Mastriano spoke in Harrisburg to his supporters.
"We're going to wait until every vote counts, right? It is a people's movement and it is not going anywhere. But in this constitutional republic that we have, the people get the last word. And so we are going to wait patiently to see what the people of Pennsylvania said and what the people of Pennsylvania say we of course respect that," Mastriano said.
During the earlier moments of the campaign trail for Shapiro, he was asked if he would run for president. He gave reporters a hard no and said if elected as governor that would be his primary focus.