New York leaders celebrate historic breakthroughs of Biden, Harris victory

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Leaders across New York state took to social media to congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris after their victory in the presidential election.

Biden, a Syracuse University alumnus, defeated incumbent President Donald Trump on Saturday after obtaining at least 290 electoral votes with victories in key states including Pennsylvania and Michigan. 

Some local leaders mentioned Biden’s connection to Syracuse on Twitter and others congratulated Harris for becoming the first woman, first Black person and first Asian-American vice president. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo congratulated his “good friend” Biden, as well as Harris, who he said “shattered two ceilings.”

“A historic day,” Cuomo said in a tweet. “After the darkness, division and hate of the past four years, America has spoken and rejected more of the same.”

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh congratulated Biden and Harris on behalf of the city of Syracuse, while noting Biden is a former resident of Strathmore, a neighborhood in southwest Syracuse. 

Biden graduated from SU’s College of Law in 1968 and has maintained connections with the university throughout his political career.  

“Now is the time to come together,” Walsh said. 

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a U.S. Senator for New York, congratulated Biden and expressed her excitement for the chance to call her “friend” Harris vice president. 

Videos on Twitter show that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a senator from New York, also attended a rally at the Grand Army Plaza in New York city to celebrate Biden and Harris’s win. 

The videos show Schumer walked with a crowd of thousands. 

Schumer also said on Twitter that Americans have elected Biden and Harris to confront the country’s current challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout.

“The long dark night in America is over, and a new dawn is coming,” he said.

State Sen. Rachel May (D-Syracuse), who represents the 53rd Senate District, also said she was “thrilled” about the win and thanked the millions of Americans who worked to “save our democracy.” May also tweeted about Biden’s connections to her district.

Dana Balter, the Democratic candidate to represent New York’s 24th congressional district, said on Twitter she was “beyond thrilled” with Biden and Harris’s win and said America will be healthier and safer with the two in office. 

“To the countless people across the country who worked tirelessly to make this victory possible – Thank you,” Balter said.