UPDATE - Biden captures US presidency over Trump

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President-elect Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump Saturday, ending days of heated anticipation as poll officials tallied pivotal ballots.

Biden won the crucial state of Pennsylvania, and with the victory there surpassed the necessary 270 Electoral College delegates needed to claim the White House, according to The Associated Press and other news organizations.

Biden now hold a commanding 290 delegates, even as the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Alaska remain outstanding several days after Tuesday’s presidential election, according to the AP.

"America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country," the president-elect said on Twitter ahead of remarks expected for Saturday evening, US time.

"The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me."

Biden's victory makes Trump the first single-term president in nearly three decades. Trump has, however, vowed to pursue legal challenges to the vote totals in several states.

Shortly after every major news outlet in the US called the race for Biden, Trump lashed out defiantly in a statement, claiming the election "is far from over."

"Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges," he said. "Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media."

The win also makes history with Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, now set to become the first woman to serve as US vice president, as well as the first Black person and the first person of Asian descent.