So thank you. Good evening. So Congressman John Lewis, Congressman John Lewis,
before his passing, wrote, democracy is not a state. It is an act. And what he meant
was that America's democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight
for it, to guard it, and never take it for granted. And protecting our democracy takes
struggle. It takes sacrifice. But there is joy in it. And there is progress.
Because we, the people, have the power to build a better future.
And when our very democracy was on the ballot in this election,
with the very soul of America at stake, and the world watching, you ushered in a new day
of democracy.
To our campaign staff and volunteers, this extraordinary team, thank you for bringing
more people than ever before into the democratic process.
And for making this victory possible, to the poll workers,
and election officials across our country, who have worked tirelessly to make sure every vote
is counted, our nation owes you a debt of gratitude.
You have protected the integrity of our democracy. And to the American people,
who make up our beautiful country, thank you for turning out in
the same way you have protected it.
And to our campaign staff and volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to make sure every vote
is counted, our nation owes you a debt of gratitude.
You have protected the integrity of our democracy. And to the American people,
who make up our beautiful country, thank you for turning out in the same way you have


Thank you for turning out in the same way you have protected it.
Thank you for turning out in the same way you have protected it.
And I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months.
The grief, sorrow, and pain. The worries and the struggles.
But we have also witnessed your courage, your resilience, and the generosity of your spirit.
Thank you.
for four years you marched and organized for equality and justice
for our lives and for our planet and then you voted
it and you delivered a clear message you chose hope and unity decency science and yes truth
you chose joe biden
as the next president of the united states of america
and joe is a healer a uniter a tested and steady hand a person whose own experience of loss
gives him a sense of purpose that will help us as a nation reclaim our own sense of purpose
and a man with a big heart who loves with abandon
it's his love for jill who will be an incredible first lady
it's his love for hunter and ashley and his grandchildren and the entire biden family
and while i first knew joe as vice president
As president, I really got to know him as the father who loved Beau, my dear friend
who we remember here today.
And to my husband, Doug, and our children, Cole and Ella, and my sister, Maya, and our
whole family, I love you all more than I can ever express.
We are so grateful to Joe and Jill for welcoming our family into theirs on this incredible
journey.
And to the woman most responsible for my presence here today, my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris,
who is always in our hearts.
When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn't quite imagine this moment.
But she believed in us.
She believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible.
And so I am thinking about her and about the generations of women, black women, Asian,
white, Latina, Native American women, who throughout our nation's history have paved
the way for this moment.



We're here for a moment tonight.
Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all.
Including the black women who are often too often overlooked but so often proved they
are the backbone of our democracy.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . all the women who have worked in our home country, in


to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century 100 years ago with the 19th amendment
55 years ago with the voting rights act and now in 2020 with a new generation of women in our
country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be
heard tonight i reflect on their struggle their determination and the strength of their vision
to see what can be unburdened by what has been and i stand on their shoulders
and what a testament it is to joe's character that he had the audacity to break one of the
most substantial barriers that exist in our country and select a woman as his vice president
but while i may be the first woman in this office i will not be the last
because
every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities
and to the children of our country regardless of your gender our country has sent you a clear
message dream with ambition lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not
simply because they've never seen it
before but know that we will applaud you every step of the way
and to the american people no matter who you voted for i will strive to be a vice president
like joe was to president obama loyal honest and prepared waking up every day thinking of you and
your family and better tomorrow and i 1rst make sure i cancel university program ap näch tournament

Because now is when the real work begins, the hard work, the necessary work, the good work, the essential work to save lives and beat this epidemic, to rebuild our economy so it works for working people, to root out systemic racism in our justice system and society, to combat the climate crisis, to unite our country and heal the soul of our nation.
And the road ahead will not be easy, but America is ready, and so are Joe and I.
We have elected a president who represents the best in us, a leader the world will respect
and love.

And our children will look up to, a commander in chief who will respect our troops and keep
our country safe, and a president for all Americans.