Obama re-elected; Romney concedes
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Philadelphia City Councilman Curtis Jones greets voters at the polls in West Phildelphia, Tuesday, November 6, 2012. (Bas Slabbers/For NewsWorks)
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Voters line up to cast their ballots in the 2012 Presidential Election in West Philadelphia, Tuesday, November 6, 2012. (Bas Slabbers/For NewsWorks)
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<p>Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter gives the "thumbs up" sign after voting at the John Anderson Cultural Center on Election Day, November 6, 2012. (Bas Slabbers/For NewsWorks)</p>
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Community activist Luke Russell directs voters to two new polling locations in Germantown and offers rides in his pickup. The former polling location was moved for this election because of a of a handicapped access ramp that didn't meet federal requirements. (Dave Davies/WHYY)
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Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and wife Ann Romney vote in Belmont, Mass., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Children from?Arising Futures Child Care and Development Center urge passers by to vote at Green and Rittenhouse Streets in Germantown. (Shai Ben-Yaacov/WHYY)
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Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his son Beau Biden, his wife, Hallie and their daughter Natalie, stands in line to cast his ballot at Alexis I. duPont High School, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Greenville, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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"Our normal polling place was without electricity. This is all a direct result of the hurricane," said Linda Koepplin, an election observer at Jadwin Gym on Princetown University's campus. Seven voting districts in New Jersey affected by power outages from last week's storm have been relocated to the Jadwin Gym. (Alan Tu/WHYY)
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State Rep. Dwight Evans votes at the Finley Recreation Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
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A vote is cast in Philadelphia on Election Day. (Bas Slabbers for WHYY, file)
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<p>A mural of President Barack Obama is seen behind voting booths at Ben Franklin Elementary School in the Lawncrest neighborhood of Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. A judge has ordered election officials to cover the mural. (Photo courtesy of the Republican State Committee)</p>
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Sarah Graden took along son Owen, 3, to vote at the VA meeting hall in Fairmount. (Maiken Scott/WHYY)
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Scott Barclay and Audrey Comsgock ?brought their son, Henry Barclay Comsgock when casting their vote at Bache Martin elementary school in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. (Maiken Scott/WHYY)
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Lee Schwartz, the leader of Philadelphia's 48th Ward, tries to fix problems with voting at Guerin Recreation Center at 16th and Jackson Streets. (Benjamin Herold/WHYY)
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Voters wait in line at Guerin Recreation Center at 16th and Jackson Streets in South Philadelphia. (Benjamin Herold/WHYY)
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Joseph Accardo of South Philadelphia (far right) said he voted for the candidates that would best protect his economic interests: Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican Senate candidate Tom Smith. ?"I think Romney is for the rich," said Accardo. (Benjamin Herold/WHYY)
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Kathleen Kane, democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Attorney General, right, walks with her son Chris Kane, 11, as she prepares to vote at a polling place in the Waverly Community House, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Waverly, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Pennsylvania Commonwealth Secretary Carol Aichele visits a polling location at the Norristown Library. (Jeanette Woods/WHYY)
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<p>Betty and Phil McGarrigan of Audobon, N.J. are driving around the region with "political dummies" to encourage voter turnout. (Benjamin Herold/WHYY)</p>
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<p>A judge ordered election officials to cover a mural of President Barack Obama at Ben Franklin Elementary School in the Lawncrest neighborhood of Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. (Photo courtesy of NBC 10)</p>
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Volunteer Samuel Brackeen was knocking on the doors in Glenside encouraging anyone at home to vote. For those who were not in, he was leaving a reminder sticker. (Jeanette Woods/WHYY)
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Ed Colavita helps to clean out the Ocean City Yacht Club after it was innundated by Hurricane Sandy. Those who usually vote at the club were sent to a nearby church to cast their ballots. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Kathleen Wheatcraft waits with her dog outside of St. Francis Cabrini Church, a busy polling place in Ocean City. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Ocean City residents Peter and Debbie Beck leave St. Francis Cabrini Church after voting. They said the President's handling of the storm didn't affect the way they voted. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Susan Gailey and Joyce Bakley-Trofa tend the table for voters who usually vote at the Ocean City Yacht Club. The polling place was relocated to St. Francis Cabrini Church, where three other districts vote. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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<p>50, Sam Dow, voted for the first time today. (Kimberly Paynter for NewsWorks)</p>
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Voters arrive at the Union Avenue School in Margate. When the municipal building lost power because of Hurricane Sandy, an alternate polling place was arranged. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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First time voter Samantha DeCarlo draws back the curtain of a voting booth in Ventnor to ask her mother for help. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Voters come and go at the busy Ventnor Community Building, which accommodated four voting districts rather than the usual two because of damage from Hurricane Sandy. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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A sign in front of the Price Memorial Church in Atlantic City directs voters to an alternate polling place. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Long lines develop at the Ventnor Community Building, which usually serves two voting districts. The facility had to accomodate two extra districts displaced because of Hurricane Sandy. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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(Bas Slabbers for WHYY, file)
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<p>Casey supporters watching results in Scranton. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)</p>
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<p>U.S. Sen. Bob Casey declares victory in his race versus Republican challenger Tom Smith. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)</p>
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Supporters cheer as election results are announced at the election night party for President Barack Obama Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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Supporters of President Barack Obama react to favorable media projections at the McCormick Place during an election night watch party in Chicago on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
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Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney arrives to his election night rally, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Boston. President Obama defeated Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, his wife Ann Romney, left and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his wife Janna wave to supporters on stage during Romney's election night rally, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Boston. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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President Barack Obama waves to his supporters at his election night party Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. President Obama defeated Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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President Barack Obama waves as he walks on stage with first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha at his election night party Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. Obama defeated Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama has claimed a second term from an incredibly divided electorate in trying economic times. He is bracing for daunting challenges and progress that comes only in fits and starts.
He told supporters at a victory rally early this morning that “the best is yet to come.”
Obama claimed a commanding electoral mandate — at least 303 electoral votes to 206 for Romney — although the popular vote was closer.
The same voters who gave Obama another four years also elected a divided Congress. Democrats retained control of the Senate; Republicans renewed their majority in the House.
1:04 a.m.
Saying his team had “left everything on the field,” Romney told his supporters the “election is over.” He said he would pray for Obama in his second term.
11:30 p.m.
NewsWorks editor Brian Hickey spoke with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to get reaction to President Barack Obama’s projected re-election victory.
Reacting to the news, Nutter said, “It’s an incredible night, a historic night. I could not be happier. The president deserved to be re-elected.”
Nutter then said that Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania, could have played an integral role in Obama’s defeat of Republican Mitt Romney. A key to the race going in was driving turnout, and Nutter said it was driven to higher levels than four years earlier.
“It looks like we gave Obama a larger margin of victory out of Philadelphia than in 2008. If we did, that’d be incredible,” Nutter said via cell phone from a Center City victory party.
With 96.98 percent of the vote counted, Obama got 551,070 votes to Romney’s 90,989. The margin of victory: 460,081 votes.
In the official count from 2008, Obama received 595,980 votes with a margin of victory of 478,759.
In 2008,
11:10 p.m.
NBC News has just projected that Barack Obama has won Ohio. If the projections hold, this likely means that Obama has won a second term in the White House as challenger Mitt Romney has run out of ways to win the electoral vote.
11:05 p.m.
President Barack Obama has been projected to win California, Washington and Hawaii while Republican challenger Mitt Romney is expected to win Idaho. With those projections, NBC News has the electoral map at 243-188 in favor of the incumbent.
However, Virginia, Ohio and Florida are still too close to call.
NBC News has named Romney the apparent winner in North Carolina, a state that was deemed a must-win for the Republican.
11 p.m.
Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach again fought off a challenge from Democrat Manan Trivedi in Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional district, according to NewsWorks’ Zach Seward.
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday night, Gerlach had substantial leads in each of the four counties comprising the district.
Local television stations are calling the race for Gerlach.
Gerlach has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. It appears likely he will begin his sixth term this January.
Trivedi, a former Navy combat surgeon who served in the Iraq War, ran against Gerlach in 2010, losing by a 14 percent margin.
The district was redrawn following the 2010 Census. The new PA-06 has a slight edge in Republican registration.
A raucous crowd of Democratic supporters at the Liberty Tap Room in Reading cheered televised election results Tuesday night.
Trivedi had yet to speak.
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