Obama re-elected US President

It was jubilation at the Democratic camp Tuesday, as Barack Obama floored his Republican challenger despite a bitterly contested election that had the U.S. president's supporters fearful he was doomed to the indignity of a single term. Barak Obama picked up 275 Electoral College votes to his opponent, Mitt Romney’s 203.

In one of America’s most keenly contested presidential elections, the Democratic president picked key states and completed the victory run with Ohio. Romney, however, picked the popular vote with 49.8% while Obama has 48.9%.

Victory was declared after several gut-wrenching hours that saw Obama and Mitt Romney spend election night much as they did the presidential campaign — in a neck-and-neck, topsy-turvy horse race.Democrats retained control of the US Senate.

Obama has left his house and is heading for his convention centre in Chicago to give an acceptance speech while Romney is expected to give a concession speech.

Immediately after his re-election, Obama tweeted, “This happened because of you. Thank you.”

Obama’s ancestral village in Kenya, Kogelo, erupted in street dancing after his victory was declared. His supporters in Chicago — and around the world — erupted in jubilation as soon as Obama was declared the winner. At Romney's headquarters in Boston, meantime, the mood was grim following an election believed to be well in the Republican's grasp.

The 2012 campaign was one of the most expensive, with over $2 billion sunk into the effort by both sides.

Yet his success this year was in stark contrast to his historic triumph in 2008, when he became the country's first African-American president and won the White House on an inspiring message of hope and change.