SEATTLE — As word spread of Joe Biden being named the president-elect Saturday morning, the streets of Seattle started to fill with celebration.
Some held signs while others honked horns and played music as they celebrated word that enough states had been called for Biden to give him the necessary votes to win the presidency.
Liz Hinrichs said she heard the news when she got a text from a friend.
“I was dancing around the living room, cranked up the music and just couldn't stop dancing,” she said. “And I think there were a lot of other people in Seattle who couldn't stop dancing either, glad to be here.”
It was welcome news for friends Daniel Pina and Hector Najera who said the last four years have been tough.
“It's a nice win to go out and celebrate but there is a lot of work to do, the country's very divided and we need to work with unity,” Pina said.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan even chimed in on Saturday, issuing a statement of congratulations to President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The mayor said this means good things for the city of Seattle.
"In Seattle, the results of this election mean we have a federal partner who is committed to the fight against COVID-19, building a just and equitable economy, and restoring the promise of America for working people. Instead of spending energy and resources in courts to fend off actions that divide us, Seattle can focus on making positive progress together," Durkan said in a statement.
While the mood in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood was celebratory, at another event in Westlake Center there were concerns raised that Biden's policies are not enough to help marginalized communities.
“Is our work done? No. It has only moved to its next step,” one speaker told the crowd at Westlake Center.
The group criticized former Vice President Biden, saying they hadn’t seen a plan from him to confront health disparities that hit minority communities hardest.
“We can celebrate Biden's win all that we want but we cannot forget that we are living in a pandemic, a pandemic that disproportionately kills indigenous, Black and Latino populations,” another speaker said.
Even among those dancing in the streets, there was talk about where they will go next.
“We're hopeful, this is a great country, there’s a lot of great countries, America first doesn't work. We gotta embrace others of the world, that's the only way,” Najera said.
The celebration on Capitol Hill went into the night on Saturday and stayed mostly peaceful, except when someone caused damage to a Seattle police vehicle.
Seattle police tweeted that a person smashed a patrol car's window while officers were still inside. No one was hurt, and the suspect ran away into the crowd, but police encouraged people to "please stay safe and celebrate responsibly."