SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 14, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement Monday congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris after the Electoral College certified their win.
The statement reads in full: We congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States. We also congratulate Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
We invite people everywhere, whatever their political views, to join us in praying for this new administration and for leaders of nations around the world. Praying for those in public office has been a practice of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since its founding. The men and women who lead our nations and communities need our prayers.
We thank President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence for their public service and wish them and their families well in their future endeavors. We commend all those who engaged in the election process at a national or local level. Their participation in our democratic process, by its nature, demands much of those who offer themselves for public service.
May our local, national, and world leaders be blessed with wisdom and judgment as they fulfill the great trust afforded to them by the people of the world.
Biden and Harris officially received 302 electoral votes to be elected president and vice president as the Electoral College cast votes Monday, following weeks of efforts by Trump to cast doubt on the election process, UPI reported.
Shortly after 5 p.m. EST, California cast its 55 electoral votes in favor of Biden and Harris, pushing them above the 270 vote total required to be elected president and vice president, respectively.
Hawaii, which Biden won, was the final state to cast its electoral votes giving the Democratic ticket a total of 306 votes, with 232 votes going to Trump.
Biden is expected to address the nation at 7:30 p.m. EST from his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
Electors in the key swing states of Georgia and Pennsylvania — where the Trump campaign bitterly contested the election results in a series of lawsuits — also cast a total of 36 votes for Biden and Harris.
