US President-elect Brack Obama today said "change has come for America" and thanked his supporters who backed him in his quest for the White House, saying "tonight, it's your victory."
Addressing lakhs of his supporters in Chicago in Illinois state, Obama said: "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 said his rival McCain fought long and hard in this campaign and that he has "fought even longer and harder for the country he loves."
"He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader," Obama said, referring to McCain's sacrifices in the Vietnam war.
Delivering his victory speech, Obama, flanked by his wife and two young daughters, remembered his grandmother who had a "meaningful and enduring impact" in shaping his life.
His grandmother died on Sunday after battling cancer.
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"And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure," the Afro-American President-elect said.
The Democrat said he was never the likeliest candidate for the country's highest office and that the campaign didn't start with much money or many endorsements.
"Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston," he said.