Biden: "We’re going to win this race"

Joe Biden said late Friday that while "we don't have a final declaration of victory yet," vote counts across the U.S. "tell us a clear and convincing story: We're going to win this race."

Why it matters: Biden is closing in on the 270 electoral votes needed to defeat President Trump, according to AP projections, with the critical battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin now called for the former vice president.

• Biden is currently in the lead in the key states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada as vote counting continued.

What he's saying: "Look at the national numbers. We're going to win this race with a clear majority of the nation behind us," Biden said. "We've gotten over 74 million votes ... That's more than any presidential ticket has ever gotten in the history of the United States of America," Biden said, with Sen. Kamala Harris by his side.

• "Vote tallies on TV moves very slow. As slow as it goes it can be numbing, but never forget the tallies aren't just numbers. They represent votes and voters, men and women who exercised their fundamental right to have their voice heard."
• "What's becoming clearer each hour is that a record number of Americans of all races, faiths, religions chose change over more of the same. They've given us a mandate for action on COVID, the economy, climate change, systemic racism."
• "They made it clear. They want the country to come together, not continue to it pull apart. The people spoke."
• "While we're waiting for the final results, I want people to know that we're not waiting to get the work done."
• Biden said he knows "tensions are high. They can be high after a tough election. One like we've had, but we need to remember to remain calm and let the process work out."
• "Democracy works. Your vote will be counted. I don't care how hard people try to stop it. I will not let it happen."

Go deeper: Biden's nearly insurmountable math