Soon after polls closed, the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and several other news organizations declared Boxer the winner. But with early tallies showing the race virtually tied, Fiorina waited several hours … then took to the stage.
Fiorina: "The facts are, it is gonna be a long night, and we're gonna be watching returns all night. But all those people who've already declared this race, maybe that was probably not a smart thing to do." (applause fades at 0:14)
During Fiorina's speech, Boxer came out too, forcing TV
stations to cut away before Fiorina was finished. And
although Fiorina hadn't conceded, Boxer savored the moment
nonetheless - after what she called "the toughest and roughest
campaign" of her life.
Boxer: "This is my
11th straight election victory. (applause) And what a
sweet one it is!" (more applause, fades at 0:13)
As Boxer spoke, new returns showed her lead had grown.
And it continued to grow the rest of the night.