President Barack Obama defeats Romney to win re-election

CONGRATULATIONS MR BARACK OBAMA!

President Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

America's first black president secured the 270 votes in the electoral college needed to win the race.

In his victory speech before supporters in Chicago, Mr Obama said he would talk to Mr Romney about "where we can work together to move this country forward".

Mr Obama prevailed despite lingering dissatisfaction with the economy and a hard-fought challenge by Mr Romney.

His Democrats also retained their majority in the Senate, which they have held since 2007, while Republicans kept control of the House.

Mr Obama greeted jubilant supporters and congratulated Mr Romney and Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan on their hard-fought campaign.

"We have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come," he said.

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303

OBAMA

206

ROMNEY

• California 55
• Colorado 9
• Connecticut 7
• District of Colombria 3
• Delaware 3
• Hawaii 4
• Iowa 6
• Illinois 20
• Massachusetts 11
• Maryland 10
• Maine 4
• Michigan 16
• Minnesota 10
• New Hampshire 4
• New Jersey 14
• New Mexico 5
• Nevada 6
• New York 29
• Ohio 18
• Oregon 7
• Pennsylvania 20
• Rhode Island 4
• Virginia 13
• Vermont 3
• Washington 12
• Wisconsin 10

• Alaska 3
• Alabama 9
• Arkansas 6
• Arizona 11
• Georgia 16
• Idaho 4
• Indiana 11
• Kansas 6
• Kentucky 8
• Louisiana 8
• Missouri 10
• Mississippi 6
• Montana 3
• North Carolina 15
• North Dakota 3
• Nebraska 5
• Oklahoma 7
• South Carolina 9
• South Dakota 3
• Tennessee 11
• Texas 38
• Utah 6
• West Virginia 5
• Wyoming 3

270 to win

Results in full

Mr Obama said he was returning to the White House "more determined, and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do, and the future that lies ahead".

He pledged to work with Republican leaders in Congress to reduce the government's budget deficit, fix the tax code and reform the immigration system.

"We are an American family and we rise and fall together as one nation," he said.

In Boston, where his campaign was based, Mr Romney congratulated the president and said he and Mr Ryan had "left everything on the field" and had given their all in the campaign.

From BBC News