POLITICO
By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Ronald J. Hansen | Arizona Republic
With the presidential race called for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, his allies and surrogates in Arizona focused on how he would remake the nation’s politics and policies, primarily with the coronavirus pandemic, racial unrest and its relations abroad.
Biden defeated Republican President Donald Trump on Saturday, becoming the first to oust a sitting president in more than 25 years. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., became the nation’s first female vice president and the first woman of color to assume the seat.
Arizona and national Democrats said Biden’s win represented a repudiation of Trump’s politics of division and fear. Some Republicans in Arizona responded angrily and continued to sow division.
Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who endorsed Biden, said in a statement shortly after his win was declared that he will seek to “heal our country’s divisions.” The election results represent an opportunity to pass a congressional financial relief package to help Americans reeling from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
In Arizona, a state that has shifted in the past two years from a Republican stronghold to a purple and now, potentially blue state, Biden maintained a lead over Trump with additional ballots yet to be counted.
“Today’s election results represent a chance to deliver on the needs of everyday Americans, rather than a mandate to pursue partisan goals that could further divide Americans,” her statement said. “Now is the time to deliver critical relief to Arizona families and employers, make health care more affordable, deliver for our veterans, and expand opportunities for Americans across the country — all while keeping our nation safe and secure.”
