After a series of lawsuits, accusations, and chaos, we finally have an official winner: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. While Donald Trump’s claims and accusations against the inevitable may be far from over, Biden and Harris prepare for their transition and inauguration as the world watches in anticipation. 

Choosing “hope over fear”: Joe Biden

Born on November 20, 1942, Joe Biden is the oldest president-elect of the United States. Ironically, he was one of the youngest senators during his time in the Senate. Before the presidential election, Biden was best known for serving as vice-president during Barack Obama’s presidency. Thanks to his celebrated political career, many expect Biden’s experience in both domestic and international politics to undo the uncertainty and chaos the Trump administration has caused in the past years and “heal America”. If these were different times, Joe Biden’s long experience might have made him just an average president, but what the world needs now after the Trump administration is the stability that the norm can provide.

Certainly “not the last”: Kamala Harris

Unlike Biden’s long political career, Kamala Harris only entered the world of politics in 2017. Harris had a successful career in law enforcement as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California before running for the Senate. Despite her short experience in politics, her progressive stance on criminal justice and LGBT+ rights, as well as her critical attitude towards the Trump administration, has garnered her great popularity among the Democrats. Many expect Harris’ experience as a prosecutor to be critical in assisting the upcoming Biden administration, especially on the divide between the police and the African-American community. But most importantly, as the first woman, African-American, and Indian-American vice-president, Kamala Harris may just be the right person “to unite [a] country and heal the soul of [a] nation” that Trump has divided through racism and bigotry.

Many people mock the elects by saying that the only reason why Biden-Harris won was because they were running against Trump. However, considering the current state of affairs, the Biden-Harris duo will have endless chances to prove their true worth, starting with the current COVID-19 crisis. Despite his long career, it is possible that President-elect Biden’s hardest political task is yet to come.