Joe Biden makes a statement during an event in Wilmington, Delaware, US, September 24, 2019. (REUTERS/Bastiaan Slabbers)

His projected victory came after four days of nail-biting suspense over the outcome of Tuesday’s election, with the counting of votes in a handful of battleground states ongoing thanks to a flood of mail-in ballots.

"I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris," Biden said in a statement.

"In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America."

He added, "With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation."

Biden had a 273 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, having won Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes to put him over the 270 he needed to secure the presidency, according to Edison Research.

Biden’s victory was driven by strong support from groups including women, African Americans, white voters with college degrees and city-dwellers, according to Reuters. He was more than four million votes ahead of Trump in the nationwide popular vote count.

Moments after networks called the presidential race for Joe Biden, President Trump said in a statement from his campaign that the race is “far from over.”

The statement says the campaign’s legal battle will begin next week.

“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," Trump says in the statement. 

The president has launched a number of legal challenges over ballot counting in key battleground states, with his campaign filing suits in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada.