Barack Hussein Obama has been elected the forty-fourth president of the United States. Obama swept Republican rival Senator John McCain in several key battlegrounds, scoring a landslide victory that makes him the nation’s first-ever African American president. In addition to traditional Democratic strongholds, Obama beat McCain in at least eight states that went Republican in 2004: Indiana, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio and Virginia. Obama also beat McCain in the swing states of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, giving him an electoral college lead of 349 to McCain’s 162. Missouri and North Carolina have yet to be called. Shortly before midnight Eastern time, Obama took the stage at Chicago’s Grant Park to a crowd of hundreds of thousands of supporters.

President-Elect Barack Obama: “It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.”

Obama also acknowledged his opponent, Senator John McCain.

President-Elect Obama: “I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him, I congratulate Governor Palin, for all that they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.”

McCain was quick to offer a concession speech, addressing supporters in his home state of Arizona.

Sen. John McCain: “A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him. [booing] Please… to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love. In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving. This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.”

McCain went on to urge Americans to unite behind an Obama White House.

Sen. John McCain: “I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans.”

Back in Chicago, Obama supporters were ecstatic with the victory.

Lynne Davis: “I, for the first time, want to hang an American flag. Please don’t say I’m being negative; I don’t mean it that way. I mean I feel it. I feel that I want to hang a flag, that I’m a part of the United States and that we matter, all of us.”

Mary Dojnik: “I thought it was majestic, presidential, calming, a sense of peace, hope and just everything is going to be OK.”

Dean Rose: “I think Barack Obama can unite the world, instead of — I mean, he’s going to unite the United States, but the world, you know, and it’s just amazing.”