Sen. Barack Obama was elected the next president of the United States after defeating Republican candidate Sen. John McCain on Tuesday night.
Obama, who will be the first African-American to lead the White House, defeated his opponent in both popular and electoral votes, though with significantly different margins.
He led McCain 349 to 147 in electoral votes, but only 52 percent of the popular vote, as of press time.
The victory of the Illinois senator was due in large part to dynamic shifts in the outcome of traditionally red states such as Virginia and New Mexico. He also carried swing states including Florida and Ohio.
“The breath of support for the democratic party has expanded beyond the North East and the Western states,” said Bruce Cain, a professor of political science at the UC Center in Washington, DC.
McCain thanked his supporters, congratulated Obama, and emphasized a need for unity as he addressed a crowd in Phoenix, Ariz.
Later Obama spoke to an enormous crowd of supporters and said that the night was only the beginning of change.
“I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to ““ it belongs to you,” he said.
McCain said the youth vote was one of the most important factors that contributed to Obama’s win.
“Without question the performance of that age group, of your age group, was the critical component in this election,” Cain said.
In addition to securing the White House, Democrats also won the Senate majority, 56 to 40, as of press time.