Election 2020: Colorado reacts as presidential race called for Biden

Coloradans responded swiftly Saturday after national news outlets declared that former Vice President Joe Biden had won the presidential election.

"A new dawn is rising in America," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “Congratulations to President-Elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect [Kamala] Harris on a historic victory in Colorado and across the country and on focusing on what unites us all as Americans.”

“Congrats to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris!” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock tweeted. “This was an historic win and historic election.”

And U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, congratulated Biden and Harris, tweeting: “Look forward to working with them to do great things for the American people these next four years!”

The Associated Press and several television networks called the race for Democratic challenger Biden over Republican President Donald Trump shortly before 9:30 a.m. MT, saying Biden had secured more electoral votes than the 270 needed for victory. As of late Saturday morning, Biden was leading Trump in the national vote total by 4.15 million.

The victory projection followed a tense few days as Americans waited anxiously for closely divided states to count enough ballots to determine who had prevailed in the presidential race. Vote counting continues in some states, slowed partly by a surge in mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden issued a statement Saturday morning saying he was “honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris.”

Trump -- who has repeatedly complained of fraud in the election without citing any evidence -- did not immediately concede defeat, issuing a statement saying that “this election is far from over.”

And U.S. Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert, the Republican upstart who will represent western and southern Colorado in the next Congress, tweeted: “The American people will have the final word, not the media.”

But some prominent Republicans accepted the election outcome and congratulated Biden, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, brother and son of two former Republican presidents.

Around metro Denver, outbursts of cheering and horn honking could be heard in many neighborhoods as word spread of the election call.

Biden and Harris won in Colorado by a decisive 13.2 percentage point margin, with 55.26% of the vote to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s 42.08%, according to unofficial results. AP called Colorado for Biden just 36 minutes after polls closed Tuesday.

In their statements Saturday, Polis and Hancock pushed back against Trump’s allegations of misconduct in the election.

“What makes America extraordinary is that our elections are safe and secure and that the results reflect the will of the people,” Polis said. “Every legitimate vote is counted and a winner is declared and we all respect the process. In 2020, Coloradans showed the world that our election system is safe, reliable and our democracy functions at its best when we break down barriers to ensure more people vote.”

The governor said he was “excited to work with the Biden-Harris administration to continue building a Colorado for all, and a United States of America for all."

“I want to thank everyone for their patience while all the votes were counted, and for the record number of people who exercised their right to vote,” Hancock tweeted.

In Colorado, voter turnout set a new record in the election.

“This is a victory for hope, decency and the promise of the American people,” Hancock added. “Come January, the dysfunction will be over. President-elect Biden has faced this type of challenge before, working with President Obama to pull us out of the Great Recession, and he’ll be ready on Day 1 to take the steps needed to get this pandemic under control. He’ll be ready to rebuild our economy and work with Congress to get a stimulus deal that struggling Americans and businesses desperately need right now. He’ll be ready to bring honor and respect back to the White House. This is a new day for our country, and now that the election is over, it’s time for us to come together, to move forward together, and rebuild together.”

Sen.-elect John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who defeated Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Tuesday’s election, tweeted: “Congratulations to my good friends @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. It's been a long, tough road — but we are going to rebuild from this crisis and restore the soul of this great nation. I look forward to working with you in Washington!”

In a statement, the environmental group Conservation Colorado said Biden’s victory sets the stage for action on climate issues.

“From the presidential race down to local initiatives, Coloradans voted to support our climate and our communities. Now the work to build back better begins,” said Conservation Colorado Executive Director Kelly Nordini. “ … We need President-elect Biden to implement his bold climate plan in the White House and support states innovating to reduce pollution and tackling climate change.”

Check back with rmpbs.org through the day for more Colorado voices reacting to the Biden-Harris victory.