George W. Bush stood before the nation as its president-elect last night, vowing to mend a fractured electorate 36 days after Americans went to the polls.

Less than an hour before, Vice President Al Gore '69 conceded his challenge to the election in a brief but impassioned address in which he urged his supporters to grant legitimacy to the 43rd president.

In his 10-minute speech, delivered shortly after 10 p.m. in the hall of the Texas House of Representatives, Bush prominently sounded the theme of reconciliation, calling it his duty to heal the country after an historically tumultuous five-week post-election legal battle.

"I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation," Bush said. "After a difficult election we must put politics behind us."

Bush vowed to forge a common agenda behind the themes of his campaign. He promised to strengthen Social Security, to preserve and expand Medicare and give due respect to the military, to reform education, and to give Americans the "tax relief they deserve."

"We have discussed our differences. Now it is time to find common ground and build consensus to make America a beacon of opportunity in the 21st century," he said. "I'm optimistic this can happen. Our future demands it and our history proves it."

One hour earlier, a seemingly relieved and often smiling Gore conceded the election, while making clear his misgivings about its legitimacy.

"Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it," he said.