Donald Trump wins U.S. presidency

ALBANY — Donald Trump offered an olive branch in making his acceptance speech after Hillary Clinton conceded the presidential election early Wednesday morning.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Trump said about 2:50 a.m. after it was apparent he had gotten the 270 electoral votes needed to become the 45th president in January. “Complicated business.”

CNN reported at 2:40 a.m. Wednesday that Clinton had called Trump and conceded the presidential election.

“I just received a call from Secretary Clinton,” Trump said. “She congratulated is — it’s about us — on our victory. I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign.”

Trump said Clinton had worked long and hard for the country.

“We owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country,” he said.

Noting there were “a few” who had opposed his bid for the nation’s highest office, Trump said, “To all Republicans, Democrats and independents, I say it is time for us to come together as a united people.”

In thanking his family for its support, Trump said, “This political stuff is nasty and it’s tough.”

Toward the end of his speech, he said, “It’s been what they call a historic event. But for it to be historic, we’ve got to do a great job.”

Saying he hoped his supporters would proud of their work on his behalf two, three or eight years into his presidency, he wrapped up his comments with, “I love this country.”

About 2 a.m., Clinton campaign chair John Podesta had told those at Clinton’s election headquarters to head home because Clinton would not be speaking. CNN had Trump’s electoral college vote total at 268, two short of the 270 needed to clinch.

Mike Pence spoke at 2:45 a.m. to the crowd at Trump’s HQ. “The American people have spoken and Americans have elected their president.”

Pence said it was his “high honor” to “introduce to you the president-elect of the United States.”

As Pence introduced Trump, CNN projected Trump would win presidency.

In Georgia, the Republican nominee jumped out to an early lead Tuesday evening in the 60-62 percent range before later results showed a tightening. With all 159 counties reporting Wednesday, unofficial results showed Trump won just under 2.08 million votes, or 51.22 percent, to Clinton’s just more than 1.85 million, or 45.73 percent. Libertarian Gary Johnson was named on 123,881 ballots, 3.06 percent.

The secretary of state’s elections office reported that more than three out of four eligible Georgia voters cast ballots in the election. With just under 5.45 million voters on the rolls, just under 4.13 million, or 75.76 percent, turned out. More than 2.18 million voted during the early voting period.

As the campaign wore on, Georgia, normally a safe Republican state in presidential politics, had been seen by some as possibly moving away from bright red.

Nationally, Clinton was seen going into the evening as having the easier route to claim the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House with densely populated states such as California and New York safely in her column.

The race tightened in the waning days of the campaign, but Trump needed to sweep tossup states, including Florida,  North Carolina and Ohio, for the electoral math to work in his favor. They did, and he claimed surprise wins in blue states Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Wednesday morning Michigan was also leaning his way, though he already had exceeded the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.

The presidential election was also expected to affect down-ticket races and was seen as possibly tipping the Senate back to a thin Democratic majority, though the House was safe for a GOP majority.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson was being challenged Tuesday by Democrat Jim Barksdale and Libertarian Allen Buckley. Isakson won a third term. With just under 2.12 million votes, or 54.93 percent, Isakson easily outpaced Barksdale’s less than 1.58 million ballots, 40.91 percent, and Libertarian Allen Buckley, whose 160,608 votes comprised 4.16 percent.

Southwest Georgia’s two members of the U.S. House were returned to Washington by voters in their respective districts.

In the 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, was challenged by Greg Duke, a Lee County Republican. Duke got out to an early lead, largely on the strength of his home county getting partial results reported quickly. As the evening wore on, Bishop caught up and then pulled away for the win.

With all 29 counties in the district reporting, Bishop won 148,033, or 61.19 percent, to Duke’s 93,909, or 38.81 percent.

In the 8th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, was running far ahead of his Democratic challenger, James Neal Harris, all night. With all 24 counties in, Scott won 173,432 ballots, 67.73 percent, to Harris’ 82,633, 32.27 percent.

On Georgia state amendments, only Amendment 1, the Opportunity School District amendment, failed. With 2.4 million against and 1.6 million in favor, three out of every five voters rejected it.

Amendment 3, which will authorize the General Assembly to reconstitute the Judicial Qualifications Commission, won with 62.47 percent of the vote, 2.3 million yeas to 1.4 million nays.

Amendment 2, which will establish penalties for sex-related crimes that will be used to help child victims, and Amendment 4, which will tax fireworks for trauma care and public safety, both passed with more than 81 percent of the vote.