Senator Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States
Several TV News Channels have projected Senator Barack Obama as the Winner of the 2008 Election
Senator Barack Obama was congratulated by Senator John McCain and President George W. Bush
Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, shattered more than 200 years of history Tuesday night on November 4, 2008 by winning election as the first African-American president of the United States, according to projections by NBC News.
Obama reached the 270 electoral votes he needed for election at 11 p.m. ET, when NBC News projected that he would win California, Washington and Oregon.
Obama's opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said he had called Obama to offer his congratulations. Addressing supporters in Phoenix, he said, "The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly."
McCain said he "recognized the special significance" Obama's victory had for African-Americans.
"We both recognize that though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still have the power to wound," McCain said.
"Let there be no reason for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth," said McCain, who pledged his support and help for the new president.
According to Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs, Obama thanked McCain for his graciousness and said he had waged a tough race on the phone call, which took place at 11 PM Eastern Time.
President George W. Bush also called Obama this evening to congratulate him on his victory, the Obama campaign said.