Bush declares victory

By WALTER MEARS

Associated Press

Florida’s secretary of state certified George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore on Sunday night in the state’s near-deadlocked presidential vote — but court contests left in doubt which man will be the ultimate victor and 43rd president of the United States.

Bush said he had won the White House and asked Gore to reconsider his challenges.

"Now that the votes are counted, it is time for the votes to count," Gov. Bush said from the state capitol in Austin, Texas, after Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a campaign supporter, announced that he had captured Florida by an infinitesimal 537-vote margin.

Bush announced that running mate Dick Cheney will direct his transition operations in Washington, and that former Secretary of Transportation Andrew Card will be his White House chief of staff.

The Texas governor said the election was close but he won and will begin "preparing to serve" as president.

While Bush asked Cheney "to work with President Clinton’s administration to open a transition office in Washington," the government agency that would make the arrangements was not ready to do so.

Beth Newburger of the General Services Administration said "there is not an apparent winner and the outcome is unclear" so the agency cannot authorize transition funds and offices for Bush.

In his address, Bush delivered a sort of miniature State of the Union list of proposals and promised that he will "work to unite our great land." It was an effort by the Republican nominee to pre-empt Gore by persuading Americans that the election is over with and that the outcome announced in Florida should be the last word.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, already had declared that it won’t be, saying that he and Gore had no choice but to challenge the Florida certification.

"The election was close," Bush said, "but tonight, after a count, a recount and yet another manual recount, Secretary Cheney and I are honored to have won the state of Florida, which gives us the needed electoral votes to win the election."

Moments after Republican Harris declared Bush the winner of Florida’s 25 electoral votes at a ceremony in Tallahassee, Lieberman said she had certified "an incomplete and inaccurate count" and he and Gore would challenge it.

But Bush, in a nationally televised address from Austin, said "I respectfully ask" that Gore reconsider further contesting the hairline Florida count. Sen. Trent Lott, the Republican majority leader, said Gore should concede.

But the vice president was preparing to tell Americans toMday that he intends to keep fighting and why.

Bush said he respected Gore’s determination to fight for Florida’s 25 electors, which would mean victory for either man, before the vote was certified. Now, he said, "if the vice president chooses to go forward, he is filing a contest to the outcome of the election, and that is not the best route for America."

If the certification of a 537-vote Bush margin stands, the Texas governor would win 271 electoral college votes — one more than necessary for victory — to 267 for Gore.

Harris said Bush had 2,912,790 votes and Gore had 2,912,253. That gave Bush the 537-vote lead out of 6 million cast, although Harris rejected partial returns from Palm Beach County. An unofficial Associated Press tally including recounted Palm Beach County votes showed Bush ahead by 357.

The secretary of state’s formal declaration, which set off GOP cheers outside the Florida capital and at the state capitol in Austin, Texas:

"Accordingly, on behalf of the state elections canvassing commission and in accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, I hereby declare Governor George W. Bush the winner of Florida’s 25 electoral votes."

Lieberman said, "The integrity of our self-government" could be cast into doubt without Democratic steps to get the most complete and accurate count possible. Gore’s lawyers were to file their challenge in the courts of Leon County, site of the state capitol at Tallahassee, this morning.

James Baker, the former secretary of state speaking for Bush, said that count already has been delivered, repeatedly.

He said Bush "won this election" under the rules set by law before Election Day, Nov. 7 — and under rules changed after the election. Baker denounced Gore’s lawyers for what he called an extraordinary resort to the courts — although Bush has his own set of lawsuits, including the appeal the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears oral arguments on Friday.

"At some point there must be closure," Baker said. "At some point the law must prevail and the lawyers must go home."

Copyright ©2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Members of South County Fire practice onboarding and offboarding a hovering Huey helicopter during an interagency disaster response training exercise at Arlington Municipal Airport on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Arlington, Washington. The crews learned about and practiced safe entry and exit protocols with crew from Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue before begin given a chance to do a live training. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish, King counties train together for region’s next disaster

Dozens of agencies worked with aviators Tuesday to coordinate a response to a simulated earthquake or tsunami.

Police stand along Linden Street next to orange cones marking pullet casings in a crime scene of a police involved shooting on Friday, May 19, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens man identified in Everett manhunt, deadly police shooting

Travis Hammons, 34, was killed by officers following a search for an armed wanted man in a north Everett neighborhood.

Ciscoe Morris, a longtime horticulturist and gardening expert, will speak at Sorticulture. (Photo provided by Sorticulture)
Get your Sorticulture on: Garden festival returns to downtown Everett

It’s a chance to shop, dance, get gardening tips, throw an axe and look through a big kaleidoscope. Admission is free.

Funko mascots Freddy Funko roll past on a conveyor belt in the Pop! Factory of the company's new flagship store on Aug. 18, 2017.  (Dan Bates / The Herald)
Lawsuit: Funko misled investors about Arizona move

A shareholder claims Funko’s decision to relocate its distribution center from Everett to Arizona was “disastrous.”

Lynnwood
1 stabbed at apartment in Lynnwood

The man, 26, was taken to an Everett hospital with “serious injuries.”

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. Highway 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Red flag fire warning issued west of Cascades

There are “critical fire weather” conditions due to humidity and wind in the Cascades, according to the National Weather Service.

A house fire damaged two homes around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Photo provided by Marysville Fire District)
Fire burns 2 homes in Marysville, killing 2 dogs

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire north of Lakewood Crossing early Tuesday, finding two houses engulfed in flames.

Dolly Hunnicutt holds onto a metal raccoon cutout while looking through metal wildflowers at the Freeborn Metal Art booth during the first day of Sorticulture on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sorticulture brings gardening galore, fun by the bushel at 130 booths

“Every year there’s something different to see,” one attendee said at the opening of the three-day festival in downtown Everett.

Alex Dold lived with his mother and grandmother, Ruby Virtue, near Echo Lake. His sisters, Vanessa and Jen Dold, often would visit to play board games and watch soccer on television.
Troubled deputies at center of $1.5M settlement in Maltby man’s death

In 2017, Bryson McGee and Cody McCoy killed Alex Dold with their Tasers. Neither of them work for the sheriff’s office anymore.

Most Read