Senator John Kerry has publicly conceded the U.S. presidential race to President George W. Bush.
Speaking in his hometown of Boston, Mr. Kerry told supporters he called Mr. Bush to congratulate him earlier today (Wednesday).
He said he and Mr. Bush talked about the need for Americans to unite, and said he hopes the healing can begin.
Senator Kerry said it is vital that every vote be counted -- but added that even when all provisional ballots are counted in Ohio, Democrats will not be able to win the state or the overall election.
The crowd also heard from Mr. Kerry's vice-presidential running mate John Edwards, who vowed to continue fighting for what he called the "hard-working Americans who built this country."