WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris “We must accept the results of this election,” he said Wednesday as he encouraged his supporters to continue fighting for their vision for the country after his defeat. Donald Trump.

The Democratic vice president said the fight will continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”

“Sometimes the fight takes a while,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t win.”

Harris made her remarks at Howard University, her alma mater and one of the nation’s most prominent black colleges, where she hoped to give a victory speech.

“While I accept this election, I do not accept the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said.

His running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, was also in the audience. So are Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, and Barbara Lee of Harris’s home state of California.

Before her speech, Harris called Trump to say that she accepted the election and congratulated him on his victory. “We will engage in the peaceful transfer of power,” he said.

Harris was once seen as a potential savior for the Democratic Party. Joe Biden ‘s re-election campaign stalled, showdown continues a deep rejection by American voters in this year’s presidential election.

He also followed every battleground state with Embersa man he described as an existential danger to the country’s core institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House; even after two impeachments, a felony conviction, and an attempt to overturn his previous election loss.

Biden plans to discuss the election results on Thursday. The White House said he spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday and invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.

David Plouffe, a senior adviser to Harris, said campaign staff “left everything on the field for their country.”

“We dug a deep hole, but it is not enough,” he said. “A devastating loss.”

In a painful side note for Harris, as the incumbent vice president, she is expected to oversee Congress’ ceremonial certification of the election.

This is the same role Mike Pence played four years ago when he led Trump’s supporters to march on the US Capitol. Although critics say that violent rebellion It clarified Trump’s threat to American democracy and ultimately did not deter voters from re-electing him.

Harris became the Democratic nominee after Biden, who had difficulty convincing voters that he could serve as president until he is 86, stumbled badly in his debate with Trump on June 27.

withdrew from the race On July 21, he endorsed the vice president, quickly uniting the Democratic Party around his candidacy.

This was an extraordinary twist of fate for Harris. Four years ago, his own presidential campaign took off, revealing the political limitations of someone once known by that moniker. “Female Barack Obama.” Although Biden chose Harris as his running mate, Harris languished in the role after taking office as the first woman, Black person, or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

Some Democrats have begun writing him off as they consider the party’s future after Biden. But Harris later found a new purpose US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade overturns his case In 2022, she became the White House’s leading advocate for abortion rights.

Harris also made a more concerted effort to network with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, making connections that could benefit her in the future. That moment came sooner than he expected, catapulting him into the presidential race with Biden leaving the Democratic National Convention just a month before.

Harris instantly reset contest terms With Trump. He was 18 years her junior and a former court prosecutor who opposed the first major presidential candidate to be convicted of crimes. His candidacy excited Democrats Those who fear that they are doomed to defeat with Biden at the top of the list.

But it also faced formidable challenges from the beginning. He took over Biden’s political operation with 107 days left in the election and faced a restless electorate eager for change.

Harris struggled despite offering ‘a new path forward’ differentiate yourself in a meaningful way from an unpopular president. In addition, he had limited time to introduce himself to skeptical voters who never voted for him in the presidential primaries.

Democrats now face the prospect of picking up the pieces during Trump’s second presidency, and it’s unclear what role Harris will play in her party’s future.

“The work of protecting America from the effects of the Trump Presidency begins now,” Harris campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a letter to staff. “I know the Vice President is not done with this fight, and I know the people in this email will be leaders in this collective mission.”