FILE WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 22: U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) October 22, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. It was announced by his office on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 that Sen. Romney has tested positive for COVID-19 (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mitt Romney and other Utah politicians took to Twitter Saturday to congratulate presidential candidate Joe Biden after he received the electoral votes needed to claim the presidency. Mr. Biden crossed the 270 electoral vote threshold after a Pennsylvania win.
Social media activity exploded in the minutes following the news, with messages of both elation and concern.
Several politicians expressed congratulations to Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, somewhat contrasting with President Donald Trump who has not yet accepted the results of the election. Sen. Romney was the first sitting Republican senator in the country to publicly respond to the news.
In a tweet, Sen. Romney congratulated the president-elect on the win on behalf of him and his wife, Ann.
“We know both [Joe Biden and Kamala Harris] as people of good will and admirable character,” Romney wrote. “We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead.”
SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall responded to the news, noting she was “elated” with the results.
“I’m looking forward to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris working to unify and heal our country,” Mendenhall wrote.
Governor-elect Spencer Cox responded to the news Saturday, congratulating Biden for the win and thanking President Trump for his “sacrifice and leadership” over his four-year term.
Cox included that there is “space for legal challenges” and sought to remind voters that no results are official until all ballots are counted and certified. This comes weeks after the governor-elect broadcast joint ads with former opponent Chris Peterson urging voters to accept the results of the presidential election regardless of the victor.
Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman congratulated the running mates, urging for a time to “heal our wounds.”
“Transitions in power are a moment of celebration for some but high anxiety for others,” Huntsman said. “The Joe Biden I know will embrace all Americans with calm and a much needed sense of humanity.”
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill also took to Twitter to celebrate a string of what he calls “essential firsts.”
“Biden Wins! America Wins! A Black-Indian Woman as VP! So many essential firsts! This is America!!” Gill tweeted.
Even those who admitted they didn’t vote for Biden congratulated the Democrat on his victory — noting the historic election of Harris as the nation’s first woman vice president. Not only that, Harris will serve as the first woman of color to hold that office.
Salt Lake County Council member Amy Winder Newton took to Twitter to congratulate Harris on the “historic” outcome.
“It’s historic to have the first female VP and I look forward to helping them accomplish their goal of healing the divisiveness in our country,” Winder Newton wrote.