Maryland Leaders Congratulate President-Elect Joe Biden On Win Over President Donald Trump
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Maryland leaders began congratulating President-elect Joe Biden after CBS News and other news outlets called the election in the former vice president's favor Saturday morning.
On Twitter, Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, wrote: "Congratulations to President-elect Biden. Everyone should want our president to succeed because we need our country to succeed. We have great challenges ahead of us as a country. Now more than ever, we need to come together as Americans."
"Congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and to the American people for the historic level of participation in this critical election. Ready to get to work to build America back better. Onwards!" Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen tweeted.
Sen. Ben Cardin tweeted Saturday was a "historic day": "This is a historic day for our country. A record number of Americans decided to restore decency and protect the rule of law by voting for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. There's hope for a better future for all of us and I'm ready to work towards it with the new administration."
In a statement, Rep. Kweisi Mfume made similar comments:
"Today is a history-making day for our nation. Not long ago, the world learned that Joe Biden would become the 46th president of the United States. This after breaking the record for most votes ever cast for a U.S presidential candidate. In addition, Kamala Harris, a woman of Jamaican and Indian decent [sic], will become the first woman to become vice president in our nation's history.
"I not only want to congratulate the new President-elect and Vice President-elect, I also want to celebrate the incredible efforts of voters across the United States including right here in Maryland. From those who stood in line, to those who mailed in or dropped off ballots, to those who counted them. As a nation, we should be proud of our overwhelming participation in what may be the most critical election of our lifetimes.
"In the face of unprecedented challenges, including a global pandemic, we made our voices heard. We stood up to a bully – and held him accountable for his attacks on working families, the press, science, immigrants, communities of color, democracy, and the values Americans hold dear.
"Adding to this monumental week, I will once again have the honor and privilege of representing the residents of Maryland's 7th District in Congress. This has been a challenging year for our communities as the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our residents and our economy. Now more than ever it is important to have leaders who will use science - not politics - to make informed decisions about how to move our country forward.
"While there is plenty of work ahead of us, I don't want us to forget about the progress we've already made. If you haven't already, please check out my Congressional term report released last week. The report highlights some of the progress we made in Maryland and in DC during my first 155 days of this term. We will continue to build on the work in the days and weeks and months ahead.
"In closing, despite the bombastic and baseless claims about stolen elections being espoused by some, we should all have full confidence that the will of the American people has been heard and will be respected. Democracy has prevailed and we will continue to forge ahead in our work to revive our economy and restore decency and civility to society."
Baltimore's mayor-elect Brandon Scott tweeted a video congratulating Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
In the video, Scott thanked Biden and Harris for "restoring decency and order to the office of the president and vice president and to the White House."
"We know that this work is just beginning and we look forward to seeing what your administration will do to restore our country's name, to restore dignity, to restore order, to make sure that we're moving our great country forward," he said.
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Scott also thanked the poll workers who counted votes into the night to make sure "that every voice was heard."
Outside Baltimore City Hall on Saturday, people cheered and honked their horns after the call was made, WJZ's Kelsey Kushner reports.
Baltimore played several roles in the 2020 presidential campaign, serving as the headquarters of then-presidential hopeful Harris' campaign as well as the backdrop for Vice President Mike Pence's speech to the Republican National Convention. President Trump also visited the city on Memorial Day.
